On May 3, tourists flock to the Louvre Museum in Paris. FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY
Industry sources said overseas travel was popular for Chinese tourists during the recent May Day holiday, traveling to traditional hotspots such as Southeast Asia as well as niche destinations such as Saudi Arabia.
Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore were among the top 10 overseas destinations for Chinese travelers during the five-day holiday that lasted from May 1 to Sunday, with all three Southeast Asian countries having the largest number of Chinese tourists. This is due to the introduction of visa-free entry. According to Beijing-based online travel agency Qunar, visitors say:
Kunal said the total number of international flight ticket and international hotel bookings during the May Day holiday were both record highs on the platform.
Saudi Arabia, Spain, Hungary, France, Austria and Italy saw significant year-on-year increases in the number of travel product bookings. Additionally, some Chinese tourists have booked trips to Murmansk, Russia. Athens and Santorini, Greece. The agency said the same was true for several smaller cities in Spain and Portugal.
“In traditionally popular international destinations such as Japan, France, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, Chinese travelers are no longer satisfied with simple sightseeing and are increasingly exploring small towns in depth,” Qunar said. says researcher Xiao Peng. Big Data Institute.
The Chinese tourists arrived in France's Burgundy region, famous for its wine growing, and in Otaru, Japan, where the Japanese blockbuster movie “Love Letter” was filmed. Hsiao said they also visited Zermatt, Switzerland, which is a year-round ski resort, and Recife, Brazil, the hometown of former soccer player Rivaldo.
According to online travel agency Tuniu, overseas tours with small groups and flexible schedules are popular among Chinese travelers, with self-guided tours preferred for short trips and group tours preferred for longer trips. .
For example, Tuniu found that travelers primarily booked packages that included both flights and hotels and took self-guided tours in places such as the Maldives, Bali, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan.
Cruises were also popular with Chinese consumers during the May Day holiday. Tuniu said many sailings from Shanghai to Fukuoka, Japan, and from Shanghai to Okinawa, Japan, were nearly full.
