National Day tourism goes global

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Travel stories were told and shared on China's leading social-networking apps, as people from China enjoyed the National Day holiday across the globe. According to online travel agency Ctrip, the total number of outbound travelers during the past Golden Week this year reached a record 7 million.

Mobile payment – a new trend in overseas travel

During the National Day holiday this year, in order to attract Chinese tourists, major shopping malls around the world have launched promotional campaigns featuring Chinese language banners and Chinese-speaking shopping guides.

Ms. Wei, a tourist from Beijing, traveled to South Korea for the holiday. As she recalled, local vendors could speak a little Chinese, whether in Seoul or Busan; restaurants offered Chinese menus; mall's facades were posted with special information for Chinese tourists. A duty-free shop in Seoul's famous Myeong-dong Shopping Street even offered cashback of up to 40 percent during the National Day holiday.

What impressed her the most was the increased coverage of mobile payment services. "Even the taxis support payments via WeChat and Alipay!" she exclaimed. The Alipay logo and QR code could be found on every duty-free shop's checkout. Customers can scan the QR code for a chance to win cashback, which in Ms. Wei's fortunate case, the full-amount applicable.

Ms. Park, owner of a Korean barbecue restaurant in Myeong-dong, said that during the National Day holiday, her business was six or seven times busier than usual.

The trend of consumption upgrading has been remarkable among outbound Chinese travelers, as proved by the global mobile payment boom during the National Day holiday. According to the statistics released by Alipay, during the Golden Week, the number of mobile payments in the U.K.'s Bicester Village has increased 90-fold, while a 70-fold and 55-fold increase were recorded respectively in the Dotonbori business district in Japan's Osaka and in Sydney Airport, Australia. The number of outbound travelers born in the 1960s has surged by 90 percent, ranking first in all age groups.

"Niche Country" tourism fever rises

Chinese tourists who have traveled around the world's popular tourist destinations are turning their eyes to niche countries. According to Ctrip's newly released list of frequently searched flight tickets for the National Day holiday, the previously "unpopular countries" have come into the scene as more Chinese tourists have searched related keywords on the platform.

Among them, the search for Central Asian and Eastern European countries increased significantly, with the search index of Croatia increasing by 142 percent year-on-year, while the search volume of Serbia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan has doubled. Chinese tourists have also shown great interest in certain emerging countries along the "Belt and Road." "There are too many Chinese tourists in popular attractions, so you have to avoid the crowd especially on the National Day holiday," said Mr. Xue, a tourist who chose to visit Israel.

Stimulated by the new visa exemption policy, Chinese tourists have also traveled to niche destinations such as Morocco, Tonga and Tunisia. The overseas tourism fever also features a Communist theme this year. During the holiday, many Chinese tourists can be seen in the Marx Museum, the former residence of Engels, the former residence of Lenin, and the places where the Chinese revolutionary pioneers studied and lived.

New image of Chinese tourists

From "buyers" to "visitors," the image of Chinese travelers is gradually changing overseas. During this National Day holiday, many tourists brought back fewer shopping bags and began to plan more for historical and cultural attractions. "You can buy what you want on the cross-border e-commerce websites. This time for me it's just to relax," said Ms. Ren, who spent her holiday in Kyoto, Japan, staying at homestays, tasting local food, enjoying hot springs, and having a good time. She only bought some souvenirs for friends when she returned.

In a recently released survey by consulting firm McKinsey, the international tourist industry is also changing the stereotype held on Chinese tourists. According to the survey, when making their travel plans, 65 percent of Chinese tourists prefer places with beautiful natural scenery that are suitable for family travel and with reasonable prices, while shopping is not always listed in the top three considerations. Visiting landmarks is no longer the primary reason why Chinese tourists travel to a certain place. Sixty-one percent of respondents to the survey hope to experience local lifestyle activities, such as enjoying local culture and art or visiting lesser well-known attractions.


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