How to lure high-spending Chinese travelers in 2024

China’s outbound travelers have evolved since the relaxing of travel restrictions in early 2023 – now Chinese tourists plan more, and more distant trips, driven by a desire for more exotic and relaxing experiences, according to a new survey released today.

Dragon Trail International’s latest Chinese Traveler Sentiment Report, which polled 1,015 mainland Chinese travelers from March 6 to 19 on travel intentions, motivations, and reactions to tourism marketing, found that wanderlust is officially back.

Itching to travel:
In a telling sign of China's rebounding traveler confidence, 63% of respondents plan to embark on international travel in 2024, and 5% had already done so as of mid-March.

A further 18% had already secured bookings for outbound trips, and another 40% plan to travel internationally, though without confirmed bookings. These figures are a turnaround from last year, when only 10% of respondents had confirmed their travel plans by the same period, and 26% were still in the planning stages without bookings.

This zeal for travel this year is influenced in part by the fact that Chinese travelers perceive the world as increasingly safe. Ten out of 12 destinations were ranked as safer than last year.

Hong Kong and Singapore are seen as the safest, followed by Switzerland and Australia, while perceptions of safety in Japan were hit by the Fukushima waste water release last summer.

Expanding their horizons:
Among respondents who had already traveled abroad in the first quarter of 2024, the preferred destinations were a mix of traditional favorites such as South Korea and Thailand, alongside less frequented locales like Belarus and Kiribati. It was also common for many to return to previously visited spots, with destinations such as Canada, France, the UK, Singapore, and the UAE seeing repeat visits from Chinese travelers.

Among those who have secured their travel arrangements for later in 2024, 94% plan to visit multiple destinations. The majority, approximately 74%, will explore various parts of Asia, while Europe continues to draw 16% of travelers. Peak travel is set for May, July, and October, aligning with the timing of China’s “Golden Week” holidays.

While Asia continues to be the preferred region for 60.3% of the respondents planning international trips, this figure has decreased from 75% recorded in the spring of 2023.

Meanwhile, Europe has increased in popularity, with 26.7% of respondents planning to travel there in 2024, up from 15% last year. Other long-haul regions such as South America, North America, and the Middle East have also seen modest increases in interest, each growing by about one percentage point...