Clockwise from top left corner: Grand Millennium Beijing; M Social Suzhou; Millennium Resort Wuyishan; and Grand Hyatt Taipei.
Strong
Rebound In
China Tourists
Headed
Overseas For
Golden Week
More Chinese are headed to Europe and other far-flung hotspots during the Golden Week holiday that sees hundreds of millions in the country on the move, in the most robust signs of a travel rebound since the country reopened its borders.
Bookings for overseas flights and hotels have spiked from 2023’s holiday week, with international flight reservations doubling and Europe showing some of the biggest growth, according to Qunar and Trip.com, among the biggest online travel agencies in China. Overseas car rental bookings have surged by more than 150 per cent from 2023, while cruise holidays have spiked sevenfold, according to Fliggy, Alibaba Group Holding’s travel unit.
Lower airfares and visa-free travel
The 368-room Grand Millennium Hongqiao is in the commercial and residential district of Hongqiao in Shanghai.
It predicts international destinations of choice for outbound travellers will continue to be short-haul Asian hubs, such as Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore.
According to Mr Andy Tan, Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) Senior Vice President for Global Sales & Partnership, China is one of the top three markets for Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) six hotels in Singapore.
“Since the visa-free arrangement, Chinese tourists' room bookings in the first nine months of this year have increased by 67%. The occupancy rate of our Singapore hotels remained at 80% during the Golden Week, with more last-minute bookings expected,” said Mr Tan.
With 243 modern rooms and suites, Millennium Taichung in the luxurious district in Shih-Jen centre in Taichung, Taiwan, is the best place to stay with nearby Taichung City Hall, Fulfillment Amphitheatre and National Taichung Theatre.
According to Reuters, with the slowing China economy, many travellers are expected to opt for cheaper domestic or short-haul overseas destinations and take advantage of the decline in airfares.
“Not only have flights been cheaper, data also indicates that domestic travellers are opting for lower cost transport options. Our hotels are currently hovering at 80% occupancy,” said Mr Lawrence Yip, MHR’s country head for China.
MHR has 14 hotels in its Greater China portfolio including Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Overall, tourism spend and travel numbers within China have risen this year compared to 2023. The country expects to see 4.29 billion domestic trips in the first three quarters of this year, 16.8% higher than same period last year, according to Chinese state media.
