China News Service, January 19 (China News Financial Reporter Zuo Yuqing) "My surname is Rui. Welcome to meet me in Harbin."

　　With the "Erbin" ice and snow tourism boom, the cultural tourism competition has not only left the industry, but also gone abroad.

Recently, the director of the Swiss Tourism Bureau, who is on the other side of the Eurasian continent, also called Harbin in Chinese, looking forward to joining China's cultural tourism competition.

Will Switzerland join the cultural tourism competition?

Harbin responds

　　From January 15th to 19th local time, the World Economic Forum was held in Davos, Switzerland.

During the forum, Martin Niederger, director of the Swiss Tourism Bureau, said that he had also noticed the popularity of ice and snow tourism in Harbin. He was very impressed by the fact that Harbin attracted 3 million tourists in three days.

　　"Harbin is very famous, and there are many pictures and videos about Harbin (online)." He said that as a tourism professional, Harbin and its ice sculptures impressed him deeply.

"We can learn from Harbin on how they organize such a grand and spectacular ice sculpture festival."

　　Niederger believes that Switzerland and Harbin have similar latitudes and ice and snow economies, and both places have very good resources to share in terms of tourism.

However, while praising, Niederger also did not forget to "Amway" a Swiss tour.

"Switzerland hopes to receive Chinese tourists as soon as possible. Visa processing will be very easy and fast. We really want to attract more Chinese in autumn and winter."

  On the 18th, the director of Harbin Culture and Tourism responded to Switzerland’s application to join the cultural tourism competition.

Screenshot from Weibo.

　　On the evening of the 17th, “Switzerland applied to join the cultural tourism competition” became a hot search on Weibo.

In response, the Director of Harbin Culture and Tourism said: "Harbin and Switzerland have similar latitudes and ice and snow resources, as well as different four-season scenery and cultural landscapes. Harbin is the first city in China to develop ice and snow and operate ice and snow. We hope to have the same experience as Switzerland in the future. For more cooperation, welcome you and your Swiss friends to Harbin."

　　In response to Switzerland's call, many netizens gathered around to watch: "Transnational tourism cooperation can bring many benefits, and ice sculpture masters can have the opportunity to work abroad and make money." Service of fire.”

Behind Switzerland’s slogan:

Chinese tourists are valued by overseas tourism markets

　　Behind the words of the director of the Swiss Tourism Board, he revealed the importance of Chinese tourists to the Swiss tourism industry.

　　In Niedergger's view, the growing spending power and travel demand of Chinese tourists have injected strong impetus into the global tourism market.

In recent years, Chinese tourists have become one of the important sources of tourism in Switzerland, and the importance of the Chinese market is self-evident.

　　The Qunar Index shows that at 7:00 on January 18, the search index in Zurich, Switzerland, ranked among the top ten in the overseas growth list, with a year-on-year increase of 109% last week and a 756% increase from the previous hour.

Ctrip data shows that as of January 17, 2024, the number of orders made by Chinese tourists to travel to Switzerland during the Spring Festival holiday has increased by more than 20 times compared with the same period in 2023, and by approximately 60% compared with the same period in 2019.

The main tourist source areas are Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuhan and Ningbo.

  Data map: A ski resort in the Swiss Alps.

　　“I have plans to travel to Switzerland this year.” A post-90s generation (pseudonym) told Sino-Singapore Finance that he may choose to travel to Switzerland during the May Day holiday.

"The cheapest round-trip ticket is only about 5,000."

　　Sino-Singapore Finance noticed that as early as the beginning of 2023, the official account of the Swiss Tourism Board on Weibo had published content many times to welcome Chinese tourists.

　　Switzerland is not the only one extending an "olive branch" to Chinese tourists.

With the recovery of China's outbound tourism in 2023, Chinese tourists have become "hot potato" in the eyes of overseas countries, especially Southeast Asian countries.

　　For example, since 2023, senior Thai officials have appeared at the airport many times to greet Chinese tourists; Malaysia has set up a Chinese counter at the Kuala Lumpur Airport.

This year’s Spring Festival tourism market is expected to usher in

“The most popular outbound travel in the past five years”

　　As the Spring Festival of the Year of the Dragon approaches, the 2024 Spring Festival travel market has also entered a booking climax.

Some industry analysts believe that this year’s Spring Festival holiday will last for eight days, and the tourism market is expected to usher in “the hottest outbound travel in five years.”

　　Sino-Singapore Finance has noticed that major airlines have announced to resume and increase the supply of international and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan routes.

Data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China shows that in the international market, more than 2,500 new international scheduled flights and overtime charter flights were arranged during the Spring Festival travel period. Most of the new flights were concentrated in neighboring countries and regions such as Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea.

  Beijing Daxing International Airport, a plane preparing to take off.

Photo by Wu Jiaju

　　The sharp drop in international air ticket prices has significantly improved the cost-effectiveness of outbound travel during the Spring Festival and stimulated people's willingness to travel abroad.

Tongcheng travel data shows that the average price of international air tickets during the Spring Festival in 2024 is about 1,197 yuan (including taxes and fees), a 41% decrease from the same period in 2023, slightly lower than the same period in 2019, and basically returning to normal levels.

Popular destinations for outbound travel are mainly concentrated in Southeast Asia, with island travel routes such as Thailand and Malaysia being the most popular. The United Arab Emirates, Australia, and Northern Europe are relatively popular destinations for long-term outbound travel during the Spring Festival.

　　It is worth mentioning that China’s five new entry facilitation measures and policies such as visa exemption and simplified authentication for some countries since 2023 have also further promoted overseas tourists to visit China, driving the inbound tourism market during the Spring Festival.

Ctrip data shows that inbound travel orders during the Spring Festival increased by more than 10 times year-on-year.

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