REPORT – KUALA LUMPUR: The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) predicted strong growth in international travel from China (PRC) to…
REPORT – KUALA LUMPUR: The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) predicted strong growth in international travel from China (PRC) to Malaysia (36%), Korea (ROK) (30%), Lao PDR (20%), Hawaii (20%), India (19%), the Maldives (16%) and Thailand (16%) to 2007.
At a PATA Travel Mart 2005 luncheon seminar, which updated delegates on the status of China (PRC)`s outbound tourism market, PATA Director-Strategic Intelligence Centre (SIC) Mr John Koldowski predicted that Chinese travellers would undertake around 32 million outbound trips in 2005, 3 million more than they took in 2004.
Of all the outbound trips China (PRC) travellers took to destinations in Asia Pacific in 2004, Mr Koldowski revealed that Hong Kong SAR received 45%, while Macau SAR welcomed 35%. Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand were the next most visited Asia Pacific destinations.
China`s Special Administrative Regions continue to soak up much of what we call outbound trips from the mainland. However, this fact doesn`t reflect the opportunities available to the rest of Asia Pacific, said Mr Koldowski. For instance between 2000 and 2004, some 15 Asia Pacific destinations received double-digit annual arrivals growth from China (PRC).
He added: Chinese travellers are becoming more intrepid while the number of destinations with approved destination status (currently 108) is increasing rapidly.
PATA Travel Mart delegates learned that China (PRC)`s highest-growth demographic segment for the next 20 years will be the mature householder – working age empty nesters. The population of this segment is projected to grow at 8.6% per annum to 2008 and 6% each year through to 2023. In economic value it is growing at more than 10% per year.
Working age empty nesters will be the most hotly contested demographic segment for travel and tourism marketers in China, said Mr Koldowski. Empty nesters` children have left home, giving them more discretionary funds. They already have most of the home durables. And, at this stage of their lives, they are increasingly more interested in new experiences.
PATA Travel Mart delegates also learned that the upper middle-class household is another high-growth segment in China (PRC). Between 2004 and 2013, the number of urban households earning CNY40,000-80,000 (US$4,800-US$9,600) is forecast to grow by 10.2% per year; and CNY80,000 (US$9,600) or more by 16.1% annually.
Mr Koldowski said: By targeting just the 18% of the population who live in provincial capitals, travel and tourism marketers can reach nearly half the affluent market of China.
A new PATA SIC report comparing Asia Pacific destinations` shares of the China (PRC) outbound travel market – China (PRC) Outbound Tourism: A PATA Snapshot – will be released October 1 at the PATA Board meeting that follows PATA Travel Mart 2005.
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