1、AWAITING THE FREEDOM OF TRAVELChinese Traveler Sentiment ReportDragon Trail ResearchApril 20222Dragon Trail ResearchChinese Traveler Sentiment Report3|WWW.DRAGONTRAIL.COM 2022Between 9-14 March 2022,Dragon Trail Research surveyed 1,011 mainland Chinese travelers about their travel preferences and be

2、havior,including appraisals of outbound destinations,opinions about Chinas quarantine-on-arrival policy,and domestic travel experience.The timing of our spring 2022 sentiment survey came at a point where global pandemic controls were being lifted significantly,but Chinese domestic outbreaks were on

3、the rise.News reports in China showed the advent of war in Europe.Under these circumstances,its not surprising that more than half of survey respondents were not planning to travel.Yet at the same time,sentiment around“eager to travel”also grew significantly since Dragon Trails last traveler survey

4、in September 2021.Perceptions around the safety of international travel destinations also improved across the board for each and every country on the list.Quarantine-on-return remains the biggest obstacle to outbound tourism,and our spring 2022 survey reveals shifting attitudes towards this policy.C

5、ompared to September 2021,an increasing number of travelers would prefer quarantine to either be relaxed or stay the same,with fewer calling for stricter measures.At the time of writing,it has been announced that a number of cities in China will in fact reduce hotel quarantine for inbound travelers

6、to 10 days,down from 14.In other areas,Chinese travelers remain extremely consistent:Independent travel is now strongly preferred over traditional large-group tourism,and nature tops the list of preferred travel themes.This report also includes a detailed look at two major travel themes for domestic

7、 Chinese tourism:Winter sports,and travel to the island province of Hainan.While both are popular with the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics giving a major boost to snow and ice tourism this year our survey findings reveal significant potential for continued growth.Despite Chinas zero-COVID policies and

8、current restrictions,travelers have not lost their taste for adventure,and even appear to be relaxing their concerns about international travel good news as the travel industry continues to await the countrys long-anticipated reopening.Introduction:Shifting sentiment amid ongoing restrictions and an

9、xietiesSienna Parulis-CookDirector of Marketing&CommunicationsDragon Trail InternationalMengfan WangManager of ResearchDragon Trail InternationalDragon Trail ResearchChinese Traveler Sentiment Report4|WWW.DRAGONTRAIL.COM 2022During the survey period of March 2022,pandemic controls were being lifted

10、around the world,while outbreaks were growing in China,and Russia had invaded Ukraine just a few weeks earlier.These are all reasons for a significant increase in those who said they“wont travel”,compared to our September 2021 survey.Under the current environment,many travelers level of caution and

11、fear grew,and they opted to wait to travel at a later time.On the other hand,sentiment around“eager for travel”also increased significantly since September 2021.After two years of the pandemic,strict travel controls,and the fluctuations of domestic outbreaks,Chinese consumers yearn for the opportuni

12、ty to travel.Many have enjoyed domestic natural scenery and cultural experiences.Travel motivation is strong,though time and money are still barriers during outbreaks.Travel remains on hold for most,but eagerness to travel is on the rise32%43%20%6%56%7%33%3%Wont travelTravel cautiouslyEager for trav

13、elNo changeChinese travelers:How has your attitude toward travel changed since the pandemic?Sep-21Mar-22Dragon Trail ResearchChinese Traveler Sentiment Report5|WWW.DRAGONTRAIL.COM 2022Quarantine,strict pandemic control policies,and inconvenience were mentioned as barriers to travel,indicating growin

14、g attention to and frustration with obstacles to travel.Nature,relaxation,time with family,and the freedom travel brings are all drivers for those looking to travel when they can.Two years into the pandemic,traveler sentiment shows a mix of caution and frustrationChinese travelers:How has your attit

15、ude toward travel changed since the pandemic?Dragon Trail ResearchChinese Traveler Sentiment Report6|WWW.DRAGONTRAIL.COM 2022Quarantine,safety and destination friendliness are still the top barriers and incentives for outbound travel,though the influence of these factors has reduced from our Septemb

16、er 2021 survey.The impact of incentives for outbound travel in order are:quarantine friendliness safety pricing.In other words,time,money,and the basic requirements of travel all need to be met before outbound travel is considered.Quarantine remains the biggest obstacle to outbound travel10%12%14%16

17、%23%23%26%37%37%37%46%I would not consider outbound travelIncreased availability of internationalflightsWhen the ban on outbound grouptravel is liftedI would consider all of these factorsOutbound destination has goodquality medical servicesOutbound destinations resume visaissuanceQuarantine-on-retur

18、n can be done athomeWhen outbound travel is affordableWhen outbound travel has resumedsafely for several monthsDestination is welcoming to foreignvisitorsNo quarantine in destination or onreturnChinese travelers:What would make you consider outbound travel?Dragon Trail ResearchChinese Traveler Senti

19、ment Report7|WWW.DRAGONTRAIL.COM 2022When it comes to Chinas quarantine-on-arrival policy,60%of mainland travelers still prefer it to remain the same or become even stricter.However,compared to September 2021,those supporting a stricter policy have dropped from 36%to 28%.Instead,more wish it to rema

20、in the same,with 28%in September 2021 and 32%in March 2022.The proportion who would like to see restrictions relaxed has risen as well.As of April 2022,eight Chinese cities have relaxed their quarantine-on-arrival policies,to 10 days in hotel quarantine plus 7 days of health monitoring at home.Attit

21、udes to quarantine policy are changing5%3%1%4%30%32%28%32%36%28%Sep-21Mar-22Chinese travelers In your opinion,quarantine on arrival should be:StricterThe same as nowRelaxed for fully vaccinated travelers with a negative PCR testRelaxed for ChineseRelaxed for everyone-8 percentage points+4 percentage

22、points+3 percentage points81%of Chinese mainland travelers prefer fully independent travel(FIT)the exact same result as in our September 2021 survey.The popularity of customized groups,small tour groups,and local guided tours have all increased compared to previous survey results.Dragon Trail Resear

23、chChinese Traveler Sentiment Report8|WWW.DRAGONTRAIL.COM 2022Independent travel and nature tourism remain top preferences for Chinese consumers6%7%22%26%29%32%81%Not sureLarge group tourLocal guided tourCustomized travelPrivate group travelSmall group tourFITChinese consumers:Whats your preferred wa

24、y to travel?Red tourism,16%Sports tourism,16%Rural tourism,28%Music festival,theater,29%Winter tourism,33%Hotel/resort vacations,39%Cultural tourism(landmarks,museums),50%Theme parks,water parks,zoos,57%Island and beach,66%Nature trips,75%China:Preferred travel themesNature trips continue to be the

25、number one preferred travel theme,the same as in previous surveys.The order of travel themes largely remains unchanged,with the exception of winter tourism,which saw an increase in interest compared to September 2021.This is likely attributable to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.Icons made by Freep

26、ik from Dragon Trail ResearchChinese Traveler Sentiment Report9|WWW.DRAGONTRAIL.COM 2022After the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and record participation in winter sports during the past year,what are the prospects for continued growth in Chinas winter sports market?We used a behavioral change curve t

27、o see where Chinese mainland travelers stand in terms of winter sports.This concept helps us understand the popularity of winter sports among travelers,in order to further measure its change in the future.Approximately one-third of mainland travelers are adopters of winter sports,but only 5%of these

28、 had plans to experience winter sports this year.Another third are open to the idea,and might need further encouragement to make travel plans.The remaining one-third of travelers have not thought about winter sports,and will need additional exposure to the idea in the future.Chinas winter sports mar

29、ket still has much potential to grow 31%28%5%17%13%5%I havent tried and am notconsidering to try this yearI havent tried but amconsidering to try this yearI havent tried but am planningto try this yearI have tried but dont haveplans for this yearI have tried and amconsidering for this yearI have tri

30、ed and also haveplans for this yearChinese Travelers:Winter Sports Experience and PlansAdopters:35%Open to adoption:33%Rejectors:31%Dragon Trail ResearchChinese Traveler Sentiment Report10|WWW.DRAGONTRAIL.COM 2022Adopters of winter sports are more likely to come from first and new first-tier cities

31、than second-tier cities,while rejectors are more likely to come from second-tier cities.There is not a substantial difference among those who are open to adoption.Female travelers are less likely than male to have tried winter sports(31.5%vs.38.3%).But among survey respondents who hadnt tried winter

32、 sports,women are more likely to be open to adoption(38.3%vs.27.3%of men)and less likely to be rejectors.Demographics of winter sports,plus top outbound winter sports destinationsChina43%Europe22%Australia/New Zealand14%Other Asian destination11%North America9%Other1%Chinese Travelers:Preferred Wint

33、er Sports DestinationEven if travel policies allowed for outbound trips,close to half of our survey respondents would still choose China as their preferred destination for winter sports.Europe came in second,chosen by more than one-fifth of respondents.Dragon Trail ResearchChinese Traveler Sentiment

34、 Report11|WWW.DRAGONTRAIL.COM 2022An island province in southern China,Hainan has been one of the top domestic tourism destinations in recent years.In addition to plentiful beaches and resorts,Hainan also boasts a booming duty-free retail market,with annual tax-free shopping of up to RMB100,000(US$1

35、5,000)per person.40%of survey respondents had visited Hainan in the past,and an additional 32%were open to the idea.Residents of first-and new first-tier cities were more likely to have visited,consider visiting,or planned to visit,compared to those in second-tier cities.Hainan has appeal for almost

36、 three-quarters of Chinese travelers29%26%6%22%15%3%I havent gone and am notconsidering visiting this yearI havent gone but amconsidering visiting this yearI havent gone but amplanning to visit this yearI have gone but dont haveplans for this yearI have gone and amconsidering visiting this yearI hav

37、e gone and also haveplans to visit this yearChinese Travelers:Hainan Travel Experience and PlansAdopters:40%Open to adoption:32%Rejectors:29%Dragon Trail ResearchChinese Traveler Sentiment Report12|WWW.DRAGONTRAIL.COM 2022While more than a quarter of respondents said that shopping was a reason to vi

38、sit Hainan,this was not the main motivation for most travelers.57%said their reason for visiting would be relaxing on the beach,with 51%choosing water sports,42%choosing romance,and 27%seeing the island as a family holiday destination.Sand and surf more important than shopping for travelers to Haina

39、nRelax at hotel,11%Bleisure,14%Wellness travel,19%Shopping trip,26%Family fun,27%Romantic travel,42%Water sports,51%Relax on the beach,57%Chinese Travelers:Reasons for Visiting HainanIcons made by Freepik from Dragon Trail ResearchChinese Traveler Sentiment Report13|WWW.DRAGONTRAIL.COM 2022We asked

40、survey respondents to rank the safety of 15 outbound destinations.With the exception of Hong Kong,travelers perceptions of outbound destinations as being“unsafe”have decreased across the board,with increasing numbers categorizing the destinations either as“safe”or“unsure”.Japan saw the most signific

41、ant increase in safety perception.In September 2021,following the Tokyo Olympics,70%of respondents ranked Japan as“unsafe”and only 8%as“safe.”Now,36%see Japan as“safe,”with one-third choosing“unsafe.”Even the US which has ranked as most“unsafe”in all of Dragon Trails sentiment surveys has seen an im

42、provement,with 7%categorizing it as“safe,”compared to 69%as“unsafe.”Just six months earlier,87%saw the US as“unsafe”.As in previous surveys,Singapore was ranked as the safest destination beyond Greater China.How safe is it to travel to the following destinations?Safety perceptions of international d

43、estinations have improved across the boardUnsafeUnsureSafe7%8%10%11%16%18%19%19%20%22%23%26%33%37%45%23%47%60%61%41%51%43%49%40%44%42%43%31%18%38%69%45%29%29%43%31%38%32%40%34%35%31%36%45%17%USAIsraelPeruChileCanadaSpainUKItalyAustraliaFranceThailandGermanyJapanHong KongSingaporeDragon Trail Researc

44、hChinese Traveler Sentiment Report14|WWW.DRAGONTRAIL.COM 2022Top destinations for both overall travelers and experienced outbound travelers are consistently:Japan,Thailand,France,South Korea and Australia a diverse list in both geography and environment.For overall mainland Chinese travelers,Hong Ko

45、ng will be a much anticipated destination once travel restrictions are lifted.If restrictions allowed,where would you most like to travel?Outbound destination preferences:Japan,Thailand,Australia,and France top the listOverall travelers1Repeat vs.1st Time#1Japan37%vs.63%#2Hong Kong 20%vs.78%#3Thaila

46、nd44%vs.54%#4France8%vs.92%#5Australia14%vs.86%#6Maldives11%vs.86%#7Russia21%vs.79%#8South Korea13%vs.83%124%of respondents in this survey have outbound travel experience,n=244.2Source:November&December Market Monitor results(DT Research)3Source:December Market Monitor results(DT Research)Outbound t

47、ravelers2Repeat vs.1st Time3#1Japan59%vs.41%#2Thailand52%vs.48%#3Australia20%vs.80%#4France19%vs.81%#5South Korea52%vs.48%#6USA57%vs.43%#7Germany32%vs.68%#8Singapore34%vs.66%Dragon Trail ResearchChinese Traveler Sentiment Report15|WWW.DRAGONTRAIL.COM 2022Chinese social media platforms,websites,and O

48、TAs continue to be the leading channels for consumers to access travel destination information.This emphasizes the ongoing importance of using Chinese digital channels to reach potential visitors.Travel bloggers are also preferred by over half of mainland travelers.Online sources remain the leading

49、channels for travel destination information1%20%21%23%32%38%40%53%67%67%NoneForeign social media(YouTube,Instagram)Tour guideEmbassy official channelsTourism board official channelsTravel agencyDestination business websites(e.g.,restaurants,attractions)Travel blogs/KOLsTravel websites/OTAsChinese so

50、cial media(WeChat,Weibo)Chinese Travelers:Channels Used for Destination InformationDragon Trail ResearchChinese Traveler Sentiment Report16|WWW.DRAGONTRAIL.COM 2022When it comes to travel products,pricing and safety elements are vital,which reiterates the need for these incentives to be met.In addit

51、ion,convenience needs to be addressed in travel products to provide further motivation for travel.Pricing,safety,and convenience most important for travel products13%21%33%38%42%58%59%61%Membership benefitsTrip crowd controlFlexible cancellation/change policyFriendly serviceTravel insurance coverage

52、ConvenienceHealth&safetyAffordable pricingProduct Preferences for Chinese Travelers17|WWW.DRAGONTRAIL.COM 2022Dragon Trail ResearchChinese Traveler Sentiment ReportFrom March 9-14,2022,Dragon Trail Research conducted a 26-question survey on the overall sentiment of mainland Chinese travelers,using T

53、encents survey panel.Our data cleaning process identified and removed invalid responses,resulting in a total of 1,011 valid responses.Target respondents were selected from a total of 49 tier 1,new tier 1 and tier 2 cities.Respondent age and gender were controlled with quotas.Methodology24%have trave

54、led outbound16%35%29%15%5%Post 00sPost 90sPost 80sPost 70sPost 60s and older44%56%MaleFemale55%45%Tier 1&New Tier 1Tier 210%55%24%11%Master degree+Bachelor degreeProfessional degreeHigh school/other20%23%38%20%Above 25k17-25k8-17k0-8k28%14%8%49%SingleUnmarried,w/partnerMarried no childrenMarried with childrenAll survey respondents had interest in travel.24%had previously traveled outbound.25%17%63%18+13-1712 and underAge of ChildrenAgeGenderCity of residenceEducationMonthly salary(RMB)Family18