Lunar New Year Travel
Outbound destinations surge in popularity for Lunar New Year
Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia are among the top overseas destinations booked by Chinese travellers over the festive period this month, reports DidaTravel.
A surge in bookings for key destinations Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia is among the indicators underlining the strength of outbound travel among Mainland Chinese over Lunar New Year. That’s according to travel distribution company DidaTravel, which is headquartered in Shenzhen and has over 30,000 travel buying clients worldwide.
The Lunar New Year holiday runs from 10 to 17 February. During the period, total outbound hotel bookings, based on Dida’s booking data, have reached a three-year high, with an increase of over +310% compared to 2023.
The comparison figures are unsurprising given the impact of Covid-19 in prior years, and can be attributed to pent-up demand following the lifting of border restrictions in Mainland China and recent visa exemption announcements.
They also point to sharp increases for several destinations that are popular with Chinese outbound travellers.
Hotel bookings among Chinese visitors to Singapore increased by 11-fold year-on-year, while hotel bookings in Malaysia grew by nine-fold and in Thailand by +243%.
The top destinations for outbound Mainland Chinese travellers during this period include Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Australia, the Philippines, Spain, and the USA. In addition, long-haul destinations in Europe, such as France, Italy, UK, and Germany, and in the Americas, Mexico, Brazil, and Canada remain popular.
During this holiday, the ADR (average daily rate) for hotels witnessed a significant global increase of +32% year-on-year. This increase is partly attributable to a pent-up demand for booking accommodation in higher standard hotels. Notably, there was a decrease in the share of bookings for one and two-star hotels, from 7% to 2.6%. Additionally, bookings for three to four-star hotels saw a decline from 69.7% to 65.2%. There was a notable increase in bookings for five-star hotels, rising from 23.3% to 32.2%, aligning with the increasing trend for Chinese travellers to select luxury accommodation, said DidaTravel.
The average length of hotel stays of Chinese travellers has increased from 2.8 to 3 days based on the latest data. In Malaysia the figure has gone from 2 to 2.5 days, Thailand from 2.5 to 3.1 days, Singapore from 3 to 3.5 days and the Philippines from 2.3 to 4.6 days.
DidaTravel Founder & CEO Rikin Wu said: “We are thrilled to witness the enthusiasm of Chinese travellers to explore international destinations and new experiences, even during this traditional holiday. This tourism boom not only fuels economic recovery but also boosts public confidence in the power of travel to create unforgettable moments and forge meaningful connections.”
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The Moodie Davitt eZine Issue 331 | 12 February 2024
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