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Chinese tourists poised to transform global travel industry

June 13, 2012 | Hotel Marketing

China is expected to become the world’s biggest exporter of tourists for the first time this year. China’s outbound tourists are transforming the world’s travel sector, as hotels scramble to hire Mandarin speakers, and foreign countries invest millions in PR campaigns aimed at raising their profile in China.

China is expected to become the world’s biggest exporter of tourists for the first time this year, with about 78 million Chinese expected to travel abroad in 2012, according to the World Tourism Organization. In comparison, 64 million US tourists made trips abroad in 2010. China’s outbound tourists are transforming the world’s travel sector, as hotels scramble to hire Mandarin speakers, and foreign countries invest millions in PR campaigns aimed at raising their profile in China.

Chinese tourists tend to be older than their western counterparts, with members of sightseeing groups having an average age of 39, according to research by Australia’s Tourism Board.

Places with a connection to Chinese history are proving especially popular with China’s outbound tourists. Karl Marx’s German birthplace, Trier, has seen an influx of Chinese visitors in recent years. In Japan, the search for Chinese culture draws tourists Kyoto, where Zhang hopes to witness the influence of classical Chinese architecture on the ancient capital.

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