We round out the month’s travel-themed interviews with a podcast. In conversation isPierre Gervois, CEO at China Elite Focus, along with Xing Shang, General Manager atStarry Expeditions Limited in Beijing. Together we share insights about trends in Chinese outbound tourism and travel. We also learn how repeat visitors to China are enabling companies like Starry Expeditions to create eco-conscious bespoke tours designed for the discriminating traveler who seeks something a little different.
AsianTalks: Pierre, for élite Chinese travelers, are Chinese destinations just as popular as foreign destinations? In other words, how has the travel industry in China changed in the last ten years?
Pierre: It’s a good question, but actually maybe 10 years, 5 years ago, it was quite difficult for a Chinese traveler to have a visa to travel abroad. Most Chinese traveled within China, or to Hong Kong or Macau. But now many Western countries and Japan, South Korea, are making it much easier for Chinese citizens to obtain a tourist visa.
A lot of affluent Chinese travelers choose to travel abroad because they want to discover the world, and they want to go shopping, or see new things. So there is a rising trend of outbound travel for Chinese élite travelers.
AsianTalks: Xing, how are travel patterns of foreign tourists in China changing?
Xing: Actually over the past year, quite a lot of foreigners are visiting China for the second or third time. So they want to experience something different. They want to go to remote destinations, like the far, western part of China. And also they want to go with people for exploration. For us, we promote Guizhou, Qinghai, and also parts of Gansu province to our customers.
AsianTalks: Would you say your tours are comparably luxury, compared to similar outfits?
Xing: Actually, our firm doesn’t market ourselves as high-end or luxury, but we are trying to focus a lot on the experience, pay a lot of attention to detail to create a successful trip for our clients.
AsianTalks: Xing, has Chinese demand for luxury increased in the last ten years?
Xing: For Chinese in their 50s and 60s, they just want to go to a landmark destination, to take photographs and have proof they have been to that particular place. But for the younger generation, such as the children of these middle-aged Chinese, they demand more experience and people-to-people contact, and also quality service. So that’s the direction.
AsianTalks: Pierre, Xing’s company Starry Expeditions focuses on eco-travel, a rising trend in the West. Do wealthy Chinese travelers consider eco-travel that’s now popular elsewhere?
Pierre: For now, it’s not a very popular issue with wealthy Chinese. I think it will become an issue with them in the future. But for now they are less aware of these ecological issues than their Western counterparts. We know some boutique hotels, like eco-lodging haven’t had big success with VIP Chinese clients, they are more focused on a top-notch luxury experience. But I’m absolutely convinced in two or three years time that will be a concern for wealthy Chinese travelers.
AsianTalks: Lastly, I wanted to open up the floor to questions you may have for each other!
Xing: Pierre, currently in China a lot of emerging, travel companies are doing high-end, luxury travel catering to domestic Chinese travelers. And the market for the wealthy Chinese traveler is growing.
At the same time so far, because the market is growing, what is your take on wealthy Chinese travelers?
Pierre: With our company we try a lot of ways to promote luxury travel outside China. We find that we need to invent, and find new ways, new channels, every time.
We have worked with Chinese outbound travel agencies, we have tried promotions in luxury lifestyle magazines, and what works best is the use of social media networks. We use a lot of Weibo, all the social media networks, because we found that wealthy Chinese travelers are searching for information on the Chinese web, on Chinese social media and networks. They’re searching for word-of-mouth of all the Chinese travelers. See what people say about destinations, hotels, experience. So I think in the future it’s very important for a company like Starry Expeditions to, when you do your outbound business, to be very active on Chinese social media.
Click here for more audio conversation on our interviewees’ insight into great destinations within China, and their predictions of rising Chinese concern for the environment!
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