Latest news with #ChineseTourism
Reuters
03-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
China sees 657 million trips during Dragon Boat holiday, up 3% y/y
HONG KONG, June 3 (Reuters) - Chinese people took an estimated 657 million passenger trips during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, up 3% year-on-year, the country's state broadcaster reported, with the indicator closely watched as a barometer of Chinese consumer confidence.
Independent Singapore
08-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Chinese tourists flock to Singapore as travel trends shift
Photo: Freepik/ lifeforstock (for illustration purposes only). SINGAPORE: Singapore continues to draw strong interest from Chinese travellers, ranking among their top overseas destinations, according to fresh data from Alipay. The digital payments giant has seen a surge in activity from Chinese users abroad, offering a window into how travel habits are evolving. Along with perennial favourites like Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Macao SAR, South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia, Singapore remains a key stop for Chinese tourists. Further afield, France, Switzerland, Italy, and Canada also feature prominently on the list of most-visited countries. Rather than sticking to traditional group tours, many are opting for more personalised, local experiences. Spending patterns have also shifted, with more interest in local transportation, cultural activities, and niche experiences. Switzerland recorded the highest average spending per Alipay user, while in South Korea, the figure exceeded US$100 (around S$135), fuelled in part by a rise in medical tourism, especially for cosmetic treatments. Public transport is also gaining popularity among Chinese travellers. One of the most significant shifts highlighted in the report is the surge in spending on public transportation. Alipay reported a 53% year-on-year increase in transit-related transactions, reflecting a growing tendency among travellers to navigate destinations like locals. Public transport payments, especially in Hong Kong and Macao, have become the most frequently used Alipay service, with tourists increasingly taking subways and buses using the platform. Beyond East Asia, Chinese tourists are leveraging Alipay's features to navigate European countries as well, purchasing train tickets and using shared bicycles—particularly in Japan and across parts of Europe—via the app. Alipay's real-time tax refund service saw a noticeable jump in activity, as well, with a 33% increase in the average refund amount per transaction compared to last year. More travellers are also taking advantage of Alipay's instant discount offers, with uptake rising by a hefty 46% during the recent New Year's holiday period, indicating a more cost-conscious yet digitally savvy tourist demographic.
RNZ News
08-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Tourism industry eager to attract Chinese visitors back to NZ
Skyline Gondola Cableway in Rotorua. Photo: 123rf The tourism industry is eager to roll out the welcome wagon for Chinese visitors who have been slow to return. It was once our second largest overseas visitor market, contributing more than $1.7 billion to New Zealand's economy in 2019. Auckland Airport chief customer officer Scott Tasker said the Chinese visitor market was lagging behind. "For the year ending February 2025, Chinese visitor numbers were still down about 44 percent on the same period in 2019, so that's an annual visitor gap of about 191,000 Chinese visitors," he said. Tourism leaders have been discussing how they wanted to turn that around at the industry's showcase, TRENZ, in Rotorua. Softness in the Chinese economy was deterring some from travelling, while visa free travel to Asian destinations to the likes of Singapore and Thailand was enticing others to look closer to home for their next holiday, Tasker said. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed earlier this week between North Island tourism leaders to attract more visitors to explore the regions, stay longer and spend more. China was one of the key markets in their sights. On Wednesday, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston announced visitors wanting to travel to New Zealand won't need to get their translated documents certified. "It's about removing the friction, so the removal of the certification of the translation into English is one of those things that will make a difference," Upston said. "But we're very clear with the China market that we're open for business. We're really keen to see them back." Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi China Travel Service managing director Lisa Li couldn't wait to share the news. "Now we've removed that and it's absolutely saving them money, saving them time," she said. Visa-free travel would be a gamechanger for attracting Chinese visitors but making the visa process easier and quicker would also help, especially for larger groups, Li said. "If we can give them some special treatment on the visa processing, that would be absolutely helpful for those big corporations to send the people coming through," she said. It could make a difference to make it easier for people who already had an Australian visa, Li said. Tourism New Zealand planned to use some of a recent funding boost to entice more Chinese visitors to our shores. Chief executive René de Monchy said the way Chinese visitors were travelling had changed a lot. "Of that 40 percent or so missing visitors, many of them were larger, shorter staying, dual destination group travel. That consumer trend has really moved on, they are going on to other destinations that are cheaper," he said. But that was not necessarily a bad outcome. "What we are seeing is a real growth in smaller groups, that stay for a longer period of time. They, therefore, spend more money, visit more regions," de Monchy said. "But we need to activate that audience to actually get them to come to New Zealand. "China evolves rapidly in terms of its travel behaviour. I think the future visitor will look quite different than the visitor looked five or six years ago." Rotorua sent a trade delegation to China earlier this year. Rotorua Canopy Tours general manager Paul Button joined, saying they usually had eight percent Chinese visitors, but that had been roughly halved. "I was blown away with the interest in the premium, small group experiences and how many agents are selling Chinese itineraries where they connect to nature and they do things that have a really strong sustainability edge," he said. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was hoping to travel to China this year to make sure New Zealand was firmly in the sights of Chinese travellers. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
