The projections for 2016 released on February 1 by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) show that China’s domestic tourism traffic is expected to increase by 9.5% to reach 4.38 billion, and inbound and outbound tourism traffic will add up to 263 million, increasing by 5%. Total investments on China’s tourism sector will reach RMB 1.2 trillion, up by 20% YoY. China’s total revenue from domestic tourism is expected to reach RMB 3.8 trillion, up by 11%, while international tourism receipts will top USD 121 billion (about RMB 795.9 billion), up by 6.5%. China’s total revenue from tourism this year is expected to go up by 10% to reach RMB 4.55 trillion in total.

In 2015, the shopping expenditure of China’s outbound tourists reached RMB 684.1 billion, according to data from the 2015 China Statistical Report on Tourism released by CNTA. The top 10 most popular outbound destinations are respectively Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Phuket, Bangkok, Singapore, Taipei, Chiang Mai, Bali and Jeju Island. Chinese tourists spent over RMB 7,000 per capita on shopping in Japan, South Korea, the United States or European countries. 

With the global economy still under pressure from potential downturn, governments of various destinations are relaxing their visa policies to attract more Chinese tourist visits. The inclusion of the RMB in the SDR will also create more favorable conditions for China’s outbound travel. 

Families are expected to be a segment with promising potential, following the full implementation of the two-child policy and the coming of age of China’s domestic leisure tourism. According to the 2016 TripBarometer Global Travel Economy Report, 61% of the Chinese respondents in the survey plan to increase their travel budget this year to reward themselves and their families.

The growth in family travel has stimulated the increase of cruise vacation which is suitable for family get-togethers. China’s cruise tourism in 2015 grossed RMB 4.53 billion with total passenger volume exceeding 2.18 million, up by 35.2%, which was three times higher than the global growth rate, according to data from BigData-Research. 

In a survey conducted by TripAdvisor, 83% of the Chinese respondents have plans to try new ways of travel including solo travel (30%), cruise travel (26%), and outdoor travel (22%). (Translation by Jerry)