Beijing, May 5 (ZXS) -- With the resumption of many international routes and the opening of international passenger trains of the China-Laos Railway, many tourists choose to go abroad during the "May Day" holiday to feel the exotic style.
"I used to look forward to it, but now I finally look forward to it." Chen Chen, head of Spain's Tide International Travel Agency, said in an interview with China News Agency. During the May Day holiday, the number of orders received by its travel agencies from Chinese tourists increased. Bookings are mainly for small groups and families, with large group tours expected to resume gradually in mid-May.
Since the resumption of outbound group tours in China, Chen Chen's travel agency has used social media platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu to publish travel promotion routes and strategies to attract more tourists. The number of inquiries received in the background has soared. "I can feel the enthusiasm and yearning of Chinese tourists, and the prospects are bright." Chen Chen said.
Compared with the "check-in" travel mode, the "in-depth tour" travel package is more popular. According to Chen Chen, many tourists will choose customized itineraries based on the existing routes of travel agencies to deeply experience Spain's local cultural customs and food.
"The travel market has revived after a long hiatus due to the pandemic, and Chinese travel agencies are innovating to attract customers." Shuai Shuai, head of the Austrian Abino exhibition service and customized tour company, believes that the current outbound travel market is young, and travel agencies need to cater to the preferences of young people and launch more distinctive and detailed service products.
Compared with group tours, most of the orders received by the company are for business trips, and many representatives of Chinese companies go to Austria to participate in medical, industrial and other exhibitions.
According to the Shuai Shuai, the cost of local accommodation, meals and attractions in Austria has generally increased, and the price of travel agency services has also increased by 20%~30% to cover the cost. But that hasn't dampened the enthusiasm of tourists. Visitors will choose more cost-effective packages depending on their budget.
"We can see that the market has heated up, the demand is getting bigger, and the volume of the group is increasing exponentially." He believes that it will take some time for the market to fully recover, but it will not wait too long, "the May Day holiday is the starting point, and the market prospects are very good."
Rachel, a South African Chinese tour guide, agrees. She believes that outbound group tours have just restarted, coupled with the relatively high air ticket prices between China and South Africa, many tourists still hold a wait-and-see attitude, but there are many inquiries. "The market is slowly recovering, and we are confident." Rachel said.
"Considering the price of air tickets and accommodation, it is more cost-effective to go to neighboring countries than to go to European and American countries." Sasi, a tourist who travels to Luang Prabang, Laos, on the China-Laos Railway train, said.
Lu Jing, another tourist who traveled to Laos on the China-Laos Railway, said that this was his first trip abroad since the epidemic, "The first time I took a high-speed train with my passport, the experience was very novel. The carriages were clean and the meals were plentiful. There are many Chinese tourists on the train, and everyone is excited and looking forward to it. I hope to explore more countries in the future. (End)