The popularity of outbound tourism is increasing, and the development of tourism is accelerating

Since the resumption of the outbound group tour pilot for Chinese citizens on February 2, 6 countries have become outbound travel destinations, and the recovery of the outbound tourism market continues to rise. The return of Chinese tourists has injected momentum into the recovery of global tourism.

Russian tourism ushered in a positive situation

On February 2, after the resumption of outbound travel, 23 Chinese tourists from the first group to Russia arrived in Moscow, which is also the first tour group in the country to go to Russia after the resumption of outbound tours, and tourists received airport pick-up, welcome ceremony, welcome dinner and other benefits. Guangzhou Tour has also developed a cross-border travel route to Vladivostok, Russia, which is expected to launch in mid-April.

China and Russia have close tourism exchanges, and before the epidemic, Russia was a popular destination for Chinese tourists to travel abroad. Recently, there is good news, the joint statement of China and Russia on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era proposed that the two sides will expand tourism cooperation and exchanges and encourage the construction of a comfortable tourism environment.

Cheng Chaogong, chief researcher of Tongcheng Research Institute, said: "Now Chinese tourists pay more attention to Russia, the search volume of products is in the forefront, and some routes are already full. According to the relevant person in charge of Qunar's platform, it is expected that from May, after the arrival of the Russian tourist season, the number of bookings for tourism products to Russia will increase.

"At present, more than 20 Russian routes have been launched, and the most popular booking in March is the '3-day tour of Moscow + St. Petersburg, Russia' pure play without shopping group, focusing on Russian history, culture and art. The source of tourists is concentrated in East China, mainly middle-aged and elderly tourists. The relevant person in charge of Tuniu Travel told reporters.

Li Mengran, media public relations manager of Zhongxin Travel Group, introduced: "Zhongxin Travel attaches great importance to Russian product development, and currently launches Moscow + St. Petersburg + St. Vidensky Island 10-day tour, Moscow + St. Petersburg + Golden Ring Three Towns 10-day tour and other products, tourists can take trams, Neva River cruises, experience special restaurants and cafes, etc., to feel the slow time of Russia." ”

Yang Jinsong, Director of the International Research Institute of China Tourism Research Institute, said: "Tourism exchanges can promote people's acquaintance, form more consensus, create and share common interests, and deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between China and Russia. Chinese tourism operators should explore more updated models of Sino-Russian tourism exchanges and cooperation. ”

Several teams set off one after another

Thailand, Singapore, Russia, Egypt, UAE, Sri Lanka, Serbia... One by one, the outbound tour groups set off one after another. Cheng Chaogong said: "From the beginning of March to now, the number of bookings and inquiries for Tongcheng Travel's outbound travel products has increased significantly, with an increase of more than 3% compared with February. ”

The person in charge of vacation product operation on Qunar platform said: "At present, there are 60 pilot countries for outbound group travel, of which half of them have direct flight tickets on sale. Compared with the same period in 2019, the booking volume of long-term travel products is higher, and the most booked European tour is about 15 days of in-depth tours. ”

Guangzhou Travel has recently issued a number of outbound tour restart first tours, including Hungary, South Africa, Iran and other countries. Niche in-depth gameplay is more popular with Chinese tourists. Zhao Wenzhi, President of Guangzhou Tour, said: "These first tours are all quality gameplay in a country's depth, attracting many tourists, and some routes quickly filled up after they were put on the shelves. ”

"Compared with before the epidemic, Chinese tourists who have re-gone abroad pay more attention to travel experience, and in-depth gameplay and personalized experience with local characteristics are favored. In Thailand, for example, tourists are more willing to volunteer at the Chiang Mai Elephant Conservation Camp than to watch an elephant show, feeding and bathing the elephants and learning about their lifestyle. In addition, tourists also have higher requirements for safety and hygiene, and are willing to pay for high-quality tourism products. Feng Rao, president of the Mafengwo Tourism Research Institute, told reporters.

The return of Chinese tourists means that travel services in destination countries have resumed and the development of the global tourism industry market is effectively accelerating. Julia Simpson, President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council, said in an interview with the media a few days ago that Chinese tourists will inject momentum into the recovery of the global tourism industry, and the global tourism industry will usher in rapid growth in the next decade.

Overseas tourism bureaus have recently increased their investment and promotion in the Chinese market, hoping to attract more Chinese tourists. Guangzhou Tour has carried out regular information exchange and cooperation with tourism bureaus such as New Zealand, Singapore, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, including business training, product research and development, publicity and promotion, etc., to develop more high-quality products and bring tourists a richer travel experience.

The industry remains optimistic

Yang Jinsong said: "The outbound travel market has seen a strong recovery momentum recently. The resumption of the second batch of outbound tourism pilot countries will not only enrich the choices of tourists, but also make tourists and market players feel more certainty, and are willing to invest more attention and resources in outbound tourism. The quality of outbound tourism after recovery needs to re-recognize and define people's yearning for beautiful outbound tourism, be demand-oriented, and combine it with the reshaping of supply chains. ”

The May Day holiday is an important node for the tourism industry in the first half of the year, and it is also an important window for the industry to observe the sustainability of the recovery of the tourism industry. Cheng Chaogong analyzed: "Whether the industry recovery since the Spring Festival is sustainable needs to be further verified. The first window to observe is the May Day holiday. Some companies are already repairing their supply chains in preparation for the first long holiday. At present, the forecast of the benefits brought by the May Day holiday can play a certain role in alleviating the phased business difficulties. ”

Jiang Wen, CEO of Ctrip Group Tours, said: "At present, some countries that can leave tours relatively quickly are visa-free or visa-on-arrival, such as Serbia and Mauritius. The popular group tour destinations for the May Day holiday include Thailand, Egypt, Switzerland, Singapore, New Zealand, Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Hungary and other countries. ”

Zhao Wenzhi told reporters: "The quotas for long-term outbound travel teams in Argentina, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Greece and other countries with departure time spanning the May Day holiday have been sold out, and there are still a small number of places left for short- and medium-term products with simpler visa requirements such as Cambodia, Thailand and Dubai." The May Day holiday will accelerate the recovery of outbound travel, and this strong performance is expected to continue after the holiday. Outbound study tours and outbound parent-child groups departing in the summer are also organizing resources and developing products, and related routes will be put on the shelves one after another. ”

(People's Daily Overseas Edition, Zhao Shan)