Chinese tourists comprised the major consumption force in overseas markets during the seven-day Spring Festival holiday starting from Feb. 7.
Chinese purchasing made up 55.8 percent of overseas consumption in the period, reflecting a new impetus to economic growth emerging through the various sales tactics in different countries.
Dubai:
A big Chinese character "Monkey" made its appearance in the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai on the first day of Chinese Lunar New Year, reflecting the fact that the monkey is the zodiac animal for the Chinese lunar year that began on February 8.
A string of promotional programs, including the offering of preferential prices with 25 most favorite commodities to Chinese customers inside the tax-free shopping arcade of Dubai Airport began on February 2. The arcade was spruced up with decorations accentuated by Chinese elements and shops hired a number of Chinese assistants wearing traditional costumes to welcome the massive influx of Chinese customers.
There are over 100 flights connecting Dubai and the Chinese mainland, and 28 between Dubai and Hong Kong, each week. Therefore, Chinese customers constitute a major part of local sales.
Los Angeles:
Chinese customers enhanced the festive atmosphere of the South Coast Plaza, a high-end shopping mall in the U.S. city. The shopping center was decorated with hundreds of Chinese red lanterns to attract Chinese customers as their numbers have been soaring in recent years. A shop assistant from Vivienne Westwood said the annual celebration of Spring Festival always brought in an increased number of Chinese customers to the shopping mall.
Maldives:
A gala celebrating the Spring Festival for the Chinese travelers was held on February 8, 2016, in Faafushi, Maldives. The backdrop of the performances displayed four conspicuous Chinese characters meaning "Wish you an affluent New Year."
South Korea:
According to the administration of travel development of South Korea, the visits of Chinese tourists were expected to boost the current sluggish Korean market. Official statistics show that the average consumption of a single Chinese traveler to South Korea reached US$2,095 in 2014, creating roughly 330,000 job opportunities in the country.
The diversified payments:
China has occupied top position in terms of numbers of overseas travelers and their consumption since 2012. They currently contribute 13 percent of the annual revenue of the global travel industry now, helped by the availability of payment facilities, such as UnionPay and Alipay, in the overseas markets.
The increase of young travelers and the internationalization of Yuan:
Wei Liang, director from the Economic Security Research Center of China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), said that, with the speeded-up internationalization of Yuan, more and more people have been involved in the international business platform, which consequently influences the habits of consumptions of Chinese travelers.
A market supervisor from Bandos, Maldives, said, with the increasing consumption on foods and wines and growing appetites for interactive programs, more young Chinese travelers and backpackers are changing the tourist mode while preferring individual and international services.
Domestic supply needs to be upgraded:
The massive purchase of the overseas merchandises revealed the insufficient supply of quality goods in the domestic markets to meet the growing demands of Chinese customers, Wei said. Domestic manufacturers needed to accelerate the innovation of the products to satisfy the diversified demands, especially those at the medium-and-high ends, he added.
Li Jin, director from the China National Tourism Administration, said, tourist consumption will undergo a massive surge by 2020, when the GDP per capita is estimated to surpass US$10,000.
