Independent Chinese Travelers Close Gap With Tour Groups
Photo Credit: Independent Chinse travel growth has destinations rethinking their strategies for the market. Pictured are Chinese travelers in Tokyo. Flickr / Toshihiro Gamo
Skift Take
A chunk of the Chinese market has reached maturity in just a few years when it took some Western markets decades to do the same thing. Now watch how destinations respond to more independent Chinese travelers.
Chinese tour groups have been a common sight in many destinations for years but in some places, especially Chinese long-haul destinations in the U.S. and Europe, Chinese non-packaged tour travelers have grown significantly and now outnumber package tour travelers.
Some 130 million Chinese travelers took an international trip in 2017, up nearly 6 percent over 2016, making China the world's largest outbound tourism market. Independent Chinese travel has increased as the Chinese tourism market matures and travelers become more comfortable visiting places untethered to a tour. Mobile technology has also made it easier for Chinese travelers to access information and get the help they need while abroad.
Chinese travelers are also increasingly craving unique experiences that you won't find on postcards or in guidebooks, and are seeking hidden gems and unfiltered views without tourist crowds.
Skift first tracked the rise of independent Chinese travelers in its first Research Report,
