Malta & Portugal Rise in Popularity Among Chinese Travellers While France Remains Top
Malta and Portugal are gaining popularity among Chinese travellers this autumn following the travel and tourism rebound.
Both EU destinations have seen a noteworthy increase in Chinese travellers, becoming two new popular destinations for upcoming trips between September and December 2023, in contrast to the same period in 2022, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
On the other hand, similar to the previous year, France remains the top choice for Chinese travellers, with 47 per cent of the 1,000 respondents including it in their autumn 2023 itineraries, according to the latest Long-Haul Travel Barometer survey by the European Travel Commission (ETC).
The ETC conducts 1,000 online interviews in each of the six key markets—Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, and the United States—with the aim of understanding the travel intentions of long-haul travellers.
Chinese travellers have also shown a growing interest in exploring less popular destinations, including Bulgaria, Iceland, Sweden, and Ireland. Notably, some of these destinations were not among the top choices back in the autumn of 2019.
Following France, other destinations favoured by Chinese travellers include Germany, chosen by 23 per cent, and Italy and Denmark, both tied for third place at 20 per cent.
Austria follows closely at 19 per cent, while Switzerland, Greece, and Finland share the fifth most preferred destination spot among Chinese respondents with 13 per cent each.
When travelling to Europe, Chinese travellers expressed their preference for gastronomy experiences, with 40 per cent of respondents favouring this choice.
Specifically, the younger Chinese respondents aged 18-34 and 35-49, planning to visit Europe between September and December 2023, have a strong focus on savouring local cuisine and participating in cooking classes.
City life activities, such as street art, culture, and history, closely followed at 32 per cent, while nature-based activities, such as tourism and hiking, also drew significant interest, chosen by 29 per cent of the respondents.
Luxury shopping held a lower level of appeal, as it was the preferred activity for only 17 per cent of the respondents, making it the least favoured choice among Chinese travellers considering a trip to Europe.
In terms of transportation, the majority of Chinese respondents, roughly 83 per cent, plan to travel between European countries using full-service flights. An additional 29 per cent consider low-cost flights as an option.
Furthermore, train passes were the second choice among Chinese travellers, slightly lower at 25 per cent, while motorhomes, including campervans and truck campers, were the least preferred option, selected by only seven per cent of the respondents.
