China Outbound Daily: Numbers for 2013, Thailand, Samoa, Zimbabwe

Editor’s note: We’ve recently started a new daily roundup of news affecting outbound business, for countries trying to attract Chinese travelers. Follow all news from ChinaOB Daily, here.

• China’s outbound tourists surpass 37 mln in first five months of 2013: The number of outbound tourists leaving China reached 37.92 million in the first five months this year, up 17.3 percent compared with the same period in 2012, according to China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) statistics.
• Thailand hoping for health & wellness tourism from China: Through a travel agents fam trip: “Wellness Tourism is very popular among the hi-end Chinese market. This year, we have organised a Fam Trip specifically for this market and will promote luxury Wellness and Beauty products which target the profile and behavior of this market.”
• Samoa hopes to tap into Chinese tourist market: Samoa is hoping to launch direct flights to and from China in a bid to boost its country’s tourism…In 2012, 2,000 Chinese visitors went to Samoa and the number is expected to reach 3,000 this year.
• Zimbabwe plans to open up rules for Chinese visitors: Zimbabwe is planning to attract Chinese by relaxing it visa restrictions for tourists from China and increasing the air connectivity between the two nations…it seeks to attract an annual number of no less than fifty thousand Chinese tourists…by the year 2015. It hosted less than five thousand Chinese tourists in 2012.