In this article for Jing Daily Jessica Rapp asks: Can Europe bounce back from its lull in Chinese tourists?
The Big Idea:
Because of terrorist attacks in France, Belgium and Germany; the earthquake in Italy; the abortive coup in Turkey; and other episodes of violence and natural disasters at traditionally popular holiday destinations for Chinese travelers, many Chinese are putting their overseas travel plans on hold.
Key points:
- Chinese visitation to Paris was down 5.7% in August.
- Flight bookings to France have been down 20% since July.
- Luxury retailers are taking a big profit hit because fewer Chinese are traveling.
- There have been questions as to whether the response of the French government to the Paris and Nice terrorist attacks was sufficient to make tourists feel safe.
- There have also been media reports circulating among the Chinese of armed robbers in France targeting Chinese tourists because they're soft targets carrying lots of cash.
- Recent data show that Chinese tourists are favoring the USA and Australia as destinations at this time, because:
- These destinations are perceived as being relatively safe.
- Trip costs are similar to costs of trips to Europe.
- Sightseeing and shopping opportunities are comparable.
One Chinese tourist who has given up plans to travel to Europe this year said:
“Australia is peaceful. And the United States is full of people from everywhere, so they have less of a reason to target Chinese.”
So, all you tourism folks in the USA and Australia: it's too bad your European competitors are suffering. But Chinese tourists aren't going to just stay home this fall and winter. They're going to go somewhere and your destinations are looking good to them. By pulling out all the stops right now to get your destination in front of potential Chinese visitors, you can get first-time visitors more easily than last year or next. And if you deliver a great experience, next year you can get repeat visitors, plus all their friends they told about you. Looks like a plan to me.
