10 Chinese Travel Whispers heard around the #China travel universe (and metaverse) this week. #chinesetravelwhispers

1.     Testing of Chinese travellers is on its way out. Most countries have dropped the practice and the UK has announced it will stop testing on 5th April.
2.     Chinese tour operators are more open to new product ideas than they were before the pandemic. They are asking us for ideas beyond the ‘typical UK circuit’ itineraries they were stuck in before the pandemic. Their customers are demanding more from them, it seems.
3.     This trend feeds in well to the VisitBritain campaign theme to ‘See things differently’. We are also bringing it into our planning for our clients’ 2023/24 programmes.
4.     The UK visa process seems to be working. Vivienne Song also tested it in person this week as she’s coming to the UK in June (can’t wait to see her again!). She said it was easy. Easier in fact than pre Covid. She uploaded her documents online, then went to the visa office in Beijing to hand over her passport. She only had to queue for half an hour, and her passport plus visa are expected to be sent back within 14 days.
5.     We’ve heard a lot about post pandemic trends for hiking, camping, glamping and nature. We are now starting to hear a lot more about wellness. Are #Spa hotels ready to welcome Chinese guests? It’s all about the facials … (and the revenue from the product sales). 
6.     Cosmetic surgery travel is also on the up. Japan, South Korea and Switzerland are popular options. 
7.     Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) has published some research which indicates that their users are looking to spend their money on products which offer ‘emotional value’. Food, travel, exercise, mental health and make up are the top five areas that users will spend on, believing these will enhance their lives. 
8.     International airline capacity continued to grow this month. Chinese airlines added more than 730,000 international seats in March. Air China is coming back to #Gatwick in April.
9.     COTRI’s Chinese Tourist Welcome Award is returning after a pandemic break. The awards will ‘celebrate new ideas, plans, products and methods on how to attract and satisfy Chinese visitors around the world in the post-pandemic era.’ If you’d like to apply, it’s free to enter and the deadline is 28 April. Contact [email protected]
10.  Events are back! We held a Chinese media and travel trade VIP luncheon in Beijing today. And everyone loved it. Picture below and more to follow.

With thanks to Guanxi’s China Office, OAG, COTRI China Outbound Tourism Research Institute and Dao Insights.