Outbound tourism resumes with new travel trends across China

Who are the first outbound Chinese tourists, and where are they headed in the post-COVID era? A recent report gives us answers.

The first cohort of Chinese travelers were mainly made up of the post-90's generation, accounting for over 57 percent of the total, a report by travel review website Mafengwo revealed.

It also seems that women were more likely to make a trip abroad, making up 59.8 percent of outbound Chinese travelers, according to the report.

Due to safety concerns and other uncertainties, more backpackers who would previously travel alone now tend to travel with others, with 77.7 percent of outbound tourists traveling with friends and family in the post-COVID era.

More than 40 percent of Chinese travelers were from major metropolises such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, while 57.4 percent spent more than one week in outbound destinations, with 24.6 percent over 15 days.

Shanghai tourists

Shanghai topped the list in terms of the number of outbound travelers in the post-COVID era.

A total of 48.5 percent spent over 10,000 yuan (US$1,450) per capita, and high air ticket and hotel costs are partially behind the spending hike, according to the report.

Young travelers are more willing to pay for a more quality and in-depth travel experience, it revealed.

Southeast Asian nations were the most popular destinations among outbound Chinese travelers due to the relaxed COVID-management policy and easy visa application process, according to the report.

Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia are among the most popular outbound destinations.

Beach resorts like Phuket Island and Bali Island were favored.

Meanwhile, online travel operator Tongcheng Travel said the barbecue craze in Zibo, eastern China's Shandong Province, has earned the city surging popularity as a tourist destination.

As of Friday, the hotel bookings of the city soared 41 percent from the same period last month, and it posed a 30 percent booking increase for tourist attractions.

Meanwhile, central China's Hunan Province has recently launched a tourism campaign in Shanghai.

The Memorial of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and the former residence of late Chairman Mao Zedong in Shaoshan City, signed a cooperation framework to boost tourism cooperation in Hunan and Shanghai.

Hunan has 28 "red tourism" tourist attractions.