Independent Chinese Travelers Close Gap With Tour Groups

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, "Rise of the Independent Chinese Traveler," in September 2013, and this segment of the outbound Chinese market has continued to rise in the past five years. In 2013, independent travelers were about 37 percent of the Chinese outbound market. Ctrip data show that independent Chinese travelers accounted for 42 percent of the overall Chinese outbound market in 2017, up from 40 percent in 2016. Some 14 percent of travelers in 2017 did a hybrid of independent and group travel, such as booking a customized itinerary or booking some tours and activities for their trip. A May 2018 Skift Research Report, "Best Practices for Attracting Chinese Outbound Tourists," includes survey data that show nearly 50 percent of Chinese outbound travelers prefer independent travel. Data from the Chinese Outbound Tourism Research Institute show that Chinese independent travel to Australia, one of the top 10 fastest-gr