Travel and Tourism Newsletter – April 2010
Welcome to Ruder Finn’s travel and tourism newsletter.
With this newsletter, we aim to provide our clients and others in travel and tourism industry with a broad overview of the latest trends and newest regulations related to the Chinese travel and tourism industry.
Over the past 12 years, Ruder Finn China has developed and implemented numerous multi-faceted public relations programs in the travel and tourism sector. Ruder Finn’s work on behalf of international clients includes projects and programs promoting countries, airlines, resorts and major tourist destinations.
Ruder Finn China’s travel and tourism experience, combined with its worldwide track record, offers its clients a combination of truly knowledgeable local and international teams, delivering results that meet their needs and objectives – on time and on budget.
This month, a variety of new trends are shaping the industry:
- Hotel booking website HRS.cn has released the most popular travel destinations list for Labor Day, according to guest reservations. (Global reservation network HRS.cn releases most popular travel destinations list before Labor Day)
- The UNWTO’s Interim update for April 2010 has been published, and announced that China overtook France to take fourth position in the ranking of international tourism spenders in 2009. (China overtakes France among top spending tourists)
- Mainland visitors have become the highest spenders in Hong Kong’s tourism industry: (Mainland tourists biggest spenders in HK)
- The number Chinese tourists traveling to Paris reached 600,000 in 2009 (Chinese tourists become main driving force of France’s tourism market)
You will find the full newsletter below. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with your comments and suggestions and please do let me know if you do not wish to receive the newsletter at my email, oliynyks@ruderfinnasia.com or by return email.
Best regards,
Shari Oliynyk
Director, Travel & Tourism
China Travel Industry News
China expected to stimulate world tourism in 2010
China’s outbound tourism welcoming a bull trend with rapid growth
Green Book for China Tourism 2010: China’s tourism market in 2010 optimistic
Number of visitors’ pre-registration surges, WTF 2010 to witness visitor volume climax
Global reservation network HRS.cn releases most popular travel destinations list before Labor Day
China overtakes France among top spending tourists
Mainland tourists biggest spenders in HK
Consumer and Economic News
China’s central bank repeats moderately loose monetary policy stance
China claims 240 million online video users
Bankcard Consumer Confidence Index in March at a new high
PBOC decides to stabilize overall price level for first time since last year
Consumers Welcome Ads On Social Networks
Destination News
China becomes largest guest source country of New Zealand
Tourism Australia plans assault on Shanghai World Expo
Chinese tourists’ consumption in UK reaches unprecedented level
Chinese tourists become main driving force of France’s tourism market
NZ campaign targets China tourists
Hotel News
Western China gets its first low carbon resort
Wyndham adds four to Grand Collection line in China
Airline News
Airlines lose competition with China’s high-speed rail
China Eastern to join Sky Team
American Airlines delays launch of Chicago-Beijing flights
China Travel Industry News
China expected to stimulate world tourism in 2010
Hotel Marketing, March 16, 2010
Although the financial crisis of 2009 greatly affected all sectors of the travel industry, the World Travel Trends report released by the ITB predicted a slight recovery from some regions, including a strong boom commencing from China.
IPK International, a world travel research monitor that tracks the trends in outbound travel demand, has stated, “China is very dynamic and is finding it ‘s place in the world. This year’s economic recovery will come from the East to the West.”
In 2010, IPK’s travel research envisions that Chinese outbound travel will bolster a four-percent increase in tourism compared to Europe’s stagnation and a five-percent decrease in the United States.
China’s outbound tourism welcoming a bull trend with rapid growth
Beijing Evening News, March 29, 2010
China’s outbound tourism is welcoming a bull trend with rapid growth. China National Tourism Administration’s latest statistics show that from Jan. to Feb. this year, China’s outbound travel figure increased 15%, much higher than in 2009. It is predicted that the figure in 2010 will reach 54 million. An industry insider said that China’s outbound tourism is expected to enter a new round of fast development, as the residents’ travel consumption demand increases, the environment of outbound tourism is further optimized and the global tourism industry slowly warms up again.
www.ctrip.com launches Overseas Travel Carnival to attract largest domestic outbound travel source market
www.travelweekly-china.com, April 20, 2010
www.ctrip.com has joined hands with over 20 outbound travel agencies from the U.S., Europe, Australia, Africa, Japan, Korea and others to launch the “Overseas Travel Carnival” tour show, targeting the Yangtze River Delta, China’s largest domestic outbound travel source market, and to promote this year’s new outbound travel destinations and products.
Green Book for China Tourism 2010: China’s tourism market in 2010 optimistic
China Hospitality News, April 21, 2010
The Tourism Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has published the China’s Tourism Development Analysis and Forecast 2010, aka ‘Tourism Green Paper 2010’.
The reports cover inbound, outbound and domestic tourism markets; scenic spots; travel agencies and hotels; hot topics such as regional tourism development and the issuance of regulations on travel agencies; and development of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan tourism. This year, two special sections were added; analysis of the impact of the global financial crisis on China’s tourism industry and a commentary on innovative enterprises and measures in the industry.
According to the green paper, the main factors affecting global tourism development in 2009 were the financial crisis and the H1N1 swine flu scare. In 2009, China’s tourism industry saw a decline in inbound tourism, growth in outbound tourism and considerable growth in domestic tourism due to policies to stimulate domestic demand which resulted in a revenue growth of 15%.
Predictions for the industry in 2010 are greater growth as a result of improvements in the external environment and adjustment of tourism policies. In general, all sectors are expected to grow; new business models such as cruises, timeshares, and exhibitions and conventions will see faster development; formulation of a tourism basic law will progress and reform of tourism administration mechanisms will also accelerate.
Number of visitors’ pre-registration surges, WTF 2010 to witness visitor volume climax
www.travelweekly-china.com, April 22, 2010
The World Travel Fair 2010 (WTF 2010) will be staged during the Expo 2010 Shanghai, from May 27 to 29. Leveraging the 70 million guest source, WTF 2010 will lead domestic and overseas exhibitors to embrace the tourism peak so as to encourage business opportunities and numbers of tourists.
Global reservation network HRS.cn releases most popular travel destinations list before Labor Day
www.travel-weeklychina.com.cn, April 23, 2010
Hotel booking website HRS.cn has released the most popular travel destinations list for Labor Day, according to guest reservations. The top ten are: Shanghai, Paris, Hong Kong, Beijing, Munich, Milan, Venice, Bali, London and the Maldives.
China overtakes France among top spending tourists
UNWTO, April 28, 2010
The UNWTO’s Interim update for April 2010 has been published, and announced that China overtook France to take fourth position in the ranking of international tourism spenders in 2009. Chinese expenditure on international tourism has been the fastest to grow in the last decade, up from seventh position only in 2005. Even during last year’s crisis, tourism expenditure by China increased by 21%.
http://www.unwto.org/media/news/en/press_det.php?id=5912&idioma=E
Mainland tourists biggest spenders in HK
Marketing Daily HK, April 28, 2010
Mainland visitors have become the highest spenders for inbound tourism contributing HK$83.5 billion or close to 70% of Hong Kong’s total visitor spending, according to figures from the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
Consumer and Economic News
China’s central bank repeats moderately loose monetary policy stance
The Beijing News, April 1, 2010
The monetary policy committee of People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, reaffirmed Wednesday that China would maintain its moderately loose monetary policy and enhance financial support to back the sustainability of economic development.
http://clipping.cn/tr_Canada/clippingDetail.asp?cid=5413623
China claims 240 million online video users
www.media.asia, April 8, 2010
The number of Chinese netizens watching online videos reached 240 million by the end of 2009 according to the China Internet Network Information Center’s (CNNIC) latest report, up from the 222 million reported at the end of 2008. CNNIC found that of those polled nearly 67 per cent spent less time watching television, and nearly 24 per cent barely watch TV anymore. Overall, 57 per cent rely more on the internet than TV, and 48 per cent watched online videos every day. China currently has more than 380 million internet users, which is approximately 28 per cent of its total population.
Bankcard Consumer Confidence Index in March at a new high
China Securities News, April 10, 2010
On April 9, Xinhua News Agency and China UnionPay jointly released the Bankcard Consumer Confidence Index for March 2010. The BCCI rose 1.62 points to a record 86.89 in March, 0.26 higher than in February. The readings indicate that China’s bank card holders had maintained their optimistic economic outlook, which boosted confidence in consumption, said the index report.
http://clipping.cn/tr_Canada/clippingDetail.asp?cid=5433526
PBOC decides to stabilize overall price level for first time since last year
China Securities Journal, April 24, 2010
On April 23, the People’s Bank of China issued “China’s Macroeconomic Situation in Q1 2010″ report, according to which, China should continue to strengthen liquidity management, maintain appropriate growth of monetary credit, strive to stabilize the overall price level and seek a balance among maintaining steady and rapid economic development, economic restructuring and administrating inflation expectations in the next stage. This is the first time for the central bank to decide to stabilize the overall price level since economic stimulus policies were implemented last year.
http://clipping.cn/tr_Canada/clippingDetail.asp?cid=5465045
Consumers Welcome Ads on Social Networks
Marketing Interactive, April 28, 2010
Advertising on social networking sites (SNS) has a positive impact on consumer’s opinion and attitude towards the brands, a survey by Millward Brown found.
77% of social network users in China believe that a brand is more appealing if it has a presence on social networking sites, and over half of them said that they have searched these brands or visited their websites after seeing the ads on SNS.
http://www.marketing-interactive.com/news/19320
Destination News
China becomes largest guest source country of New Zealand
www.xinhuanet.com, April 15, 2010
As of the end of February in 2010, Chinese citizens traveling to New Zealand reached 10,000, with an increase of 40% in Feb compared with the same period last year. China has become the largest guest source country of New Zealand, apart from Australia, the U.S. and Britain, who share the same language and culture with New Zealand.
Tourism Australia plans assault on Shanghai World Expo
Dynamic Business, April 16, 2010
Tourism Australia plans to showcase Australia’s credentials as a business events destination to corporate end users at Expo 2010. It’s Managing Director, Andrew McEvoy, sees Shanghai World Expo as a significant opportunity for Australia.
“Asia’s rebounding economy is creating new prospects for Australian business events operators and events such as TABEE and Expo 2010 offer an invaluable stage to meet face-to-face with potential buyers,” Mr McEvoy said.
Chinese tourists’ consumption in UK reaches unprecedented level
Travel Weekly China, April 18, 2010
According to the British Tourist Authority, 2009 saw the number of tourists from mainland China traveling to the UK and their levels of consumption in the UK reach unprecedented levels. Britain’s major high-end stores all benefited from this, and are grateful for their Chinese guests’ continuous consumption, which has greatly compensated for declining sales caused by the economic downturn.
Chinese tourists become main driving force of France’s tourism market
China Business Times, April 20, 2010
According to the website of the Ministry of Commerce, despite the economic crisis’ negative impact on the global tourism market, the number Chinese tourists traveling to Paris reached 600,000 in 2009, among which half were from mainland China, while the other half came from the Hong Kong and Taiwan regions.
NZ campaign targets China tourists
PATA, April 21, 2010
A new marketing campaign in China is using ‘star power’ to boost New Zealand’s profile as a tourism destination. Tourism New Zealand has teamed up with two big names in Chinese entertainment – movie director Lu Chuan and media personality/celebrity blogger Hung Huang – to promote New Zealand to Chinese travellers. Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler says the campaign will make use of online communities and interactive digital technology to take New Zealand to the right audiences in this fast-growing market.
Hotel News
Western China gets its first low carbon resort
Global Times, April 13, 2010
The foundations have been laid for Lijiang Tianlu, a high-end tourism resort project developed by Lijiang Jinlin Property Investment Company in Lijiang, Yunnan.
Major components of the Lijiang Tianlu project are an international convention center and a five-star hotel. The project features a total floor area of 250,000 square meters, of which the international convention center will occupy 50,000 square meters.
As the first low carbon tourism resort project in western China, the focus will be on energy conservation, environmental protection and intelligent use of resources and the harmony between buildings and the environment will be the highlight of the project.
http://life.globaltimes.cn/travel/2010-04/521659.html
Wyndham adds four to Grand Collection line in China
TTG Daily News, April 19, 2010
WYNDHAM Hotel Group has clinched deals for another four hotels under its Wyndham Grand Collection brand in China following the recent addition of properties in Shanghai, Changsha and Hangzhou.
The newcomers are a 420-room hotel in Chengdu, a 311-room property in Suzhou, a 374-key property in Kunming and a 321-room hotel in Shanghai.
The Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Palace Chengdu will be the first off the block, opening in late spring this year. It will have 12 meeting rooms to accommodate up to 800 people, three restaurants and a cigar and wine bar.
The Collection brand is one of several operated by the group in China. The group has 207 hotels representing 33,336 rooms under the Wyndham, Ramada, Howard Johnson, Days Inn and Super 8 brands on the mainland.
Airline News
Airlines lose competition with China’s high-speed rail
eTravel Blackboard, March 31, 2010
The new express train travels between Zhengzhou and Xian, running at a top speed of 350 km per hour and cutting the travel time between the two cities from more than six hours to less than two.
Before the high-speed link launched, domestic airline Joy Air, which flew on the route generally sold, on average, more than 60 percent of seats. Soon all airlines flying within China will face this problem as the Chinese government continues to spend billions of dollars on a network of high-speed railways.
By 2012, China will have more than 13,000 km of high-speed railway, affecting airline carriers which currently profit from the country’s large size and slow roads and trains. The network will include the route from Beijing to the country’s financial capital Shanghai.
“By then, 60 percent of China’s domestic air market will be affected by the high-speed railways,” Liu Chaoyong, general manager of China Eastern told Xinhua.
http://www.etravelblackboardasia.com/article.asp?id=67856
China Eastern to join Sky Team
Sky Team, April 16, 2010
China Eastern Airlines today announced its intention to join the SkyTeam Airline Alliance. During an official ceremony in Shanghai, China Eastern President and Chief Executive Officer Ma Xulun joined the CEOs of SkyTeam member airlines to sign a Memorandum of Understanding confirming China Eastern’s plans to join the SkyTeam Alliance by mid-2011. With China Eastern as a partner, SkyTeam passengers will benefit from improved access to SkyTeam’s extensive Chinese domestic network.
http://www.skyteam.com/news/headlines/20100416.html
American Airlines delays launch of Chicago-Beijing flights
TTGAsia Daily News, April 27, 2010
A lack of commercially-viable landing and take-off slots at Beijing Capital International Airport from the Chinese authorities has put a damper on American Airlines’ launch of daily nonstop services between Chicago and Beijing. In a press statement, the carrier said the services, originally scheduled to launch today, will be delayed tentatively until May 4.
It said: “Until American receives viable operating slots, we will not be able to fly between Chicago and Beijing and thus cannot deliver air transportation services to the American and Chinese people. We are… hopeful that the slot issue can be resolved by that time.”
Meanwhile, American Airlines is rebooking customers on other flights to assist them in getting to their destination, offering full refunds or the opportunity to travel at a later date.
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