Active Leisure Blows Up
Re: Active Leisure Blows Up
The Story: As Chinese visitors embrace travel independence, they’re also becoming increasingly drawn to more adventurous and exciting vacation activities.
What to Know:
- Chinese International Travel Monitor research from Hotels.com tells us in their 2018 Ipsos study that of the 3,000 18- to 58-year-old Chinese tourists, who traveled overseas in the past 12 months, exists “a high proportion of travelers who want to experience adventurous activities that are only found in that location.”
- Here are some numbers to think about: 65% of travelers chose walking on the salt flats in Bolivia, while 59% long to stargaze in the California desert. Stepping on the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland (56%) and visiting the Burning Man Festival in the U.S. (47%) were also popular.
- We’re also looking to 2022, when Beijing hosts the Winter Olympic Games, and expecting a spike in Chinese traveler interest in cold-weather outdoor activities. To that end, mountain and northern destinations around the world have an opportunity to offer sporting activities and cozy winter après-ski fun.
- Once Chinese travelers come down from the mountain, they will need some pampering. Our research shows that spa treatments, including massage, are obviously familiar to many travelers, but they’re newly curious about and interested in trying meditation and ‘spiritual healing’. And while ‘cosmetic treatments’ are already part of many vacation experiences, there’s new and blossoming interest in ‘medical treatments’.
- Lastly, everybody’s gotta eat! In Chinese International Travel Monitor research, published by Hotels.com, 70% of travelers said that tasting something they could only find in that location is a key element for a great travel experience. Seventy-three percent of ‘Post ’90s’ (Millennials) agreed.
