100 Million Chinese Are Expected to Travel Abroad in 2021

The number one international tourism source market is expected to send 100 million travelers abroad next year. That is according to the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI).

This number is lower than 155 million Chinese outbound travelers in 2019. But, no doubt it is a very welcome result after a lost year in the travel industry.

A pent-up demand, a great number of domestic travels, and the expectation for a vaccine are some of the explanations for this projection.

Why Chinese are expected to travel again soon

The numbers of the last big national holiday in China, the National Day Golden Week, were at least impressive, considering the circumstances of a pandemic.

During the seven-day holiday, 660 million domestic travelers spent around $84 billion. That means an increase of 80% compared to last-year figures.

The Chinese will to travel should turn to international markets as soon as restrictions start to ease. Another factor that will contribute to a boom in travels is the increase in safety after mass vaccination campaigns.

Just to illustrate that pent-up demand, a recent survey conducted by Hilton in major cities of China showed that most of the population is eager to travel again.

According to it, 91% of travelers say they plan to travel again once the travel restrictions ease and they can travel with peace of mind, while 46% say they will travel even more than before.

Where those 100 million will spend their holidays in 2021

The up on Chinese international travels should start in February. That is the month when they celebrate the Lunar New Year, a very important holiday for their culture.

For this period, it’s expected that most Chinese travelers will go to the neighboring countries. The reason is that the virus has been controlled in this area. But also because international flights are still restricted, at least in the short term.

Long haul trips should start after easter. Considering vaccination becoming available in mid-December and the ease of restrictions will take a while.

According to COTRI, out of the 100 million Chinese travelers, 40million are expected to travel around Mainland China and the other 60 million overseas.

How your destination can attract Chinese tourists next year

The market is waiting for a fast and furious recovery from Chinese international travelers. With that in mind, some European destinations are already targeting Chineses for next summer.

If you have plans to do the same, get to know that lockdowns and travel restrictions have changed the behavior of the traditional Chinese traveler. To catch the attention of the ‘new’ Chinese traveler, you should understand what they are looking for.

In a statement for Skift, Oliver Sedlinger, a China outbound travel marketing consultant, said that “The current sentiment within the Chinese travel industry seems to be that FIT [free independent travel] and tailor-made travel will restart first, while classic group leisure travel will take longest to recover.”

He also has pointed out that values such as safety-first, less crowded places, more nature, more health and family-togetherness are expected to guide the travel decisions after the Covid-19 experience.

Check out Orioly for destinations and learn how we can help you attract Chinese and other nationality travelers through smart tourism solutions.