Mass tour groups are becoming less popular for domestic tourists, as demand continues to grow for more personalised trips, according to a Citi report.

As disposable incomes grow and consumers get more destinations under their belts, Chinese travelers are tending to move towards customised experiences.

Over nine out of 10 domestic tourists last year opted to travel independently, rather than taking a tour, a proportion that has been slowly moving upwards, the Citi report by analyst Lydia Ling found.

Chinese people in their 20s, and those over 50, have been the key drivers behind China’s booming tourism sector, Citi found, with a 14% compound annual growth rate for domestic tourist numbers and a 17% growth rate for outbound.

Outbound tourism by elderly Chinese grew by a whopping 217% last year, faster than domestic tourism’s 95%. 

Mainlanders now make an average of three trips a year, and by 2020 that number is forecast to grow to six.

Over 60% of Chinese travellers put sightseeing as their top motivation, while fewer than 15% citing shopping as the main reason for travelling - and companies that could fulfil those needs were likely to do better.

Read original article