The summer travel season of 2024 is upon us, and industry leaders like Ctrip and Qunar have released their highly anticipated market forecast reports. These insights shed light on key trends, emerging destinations, and the evolving preferences of travellers. With schools breaking for summer in late June, the travel industry is gearing up for a busy season, both domestically and internationally.
2024 Summer Travel Market Forecast
Ctrip's report highlights a significant boost in inbound and outbound travel, driven by favourable policies. Trips to Europe, Latin America, and other destinations have seen an impressive 80% growth in bookings, while inbound tourism has doubled compared to the previous year. The report also reveals a steady growth in the domestic travel market, with a notable increase in the search for hotels and flights within China, showing a year-on-year rise of over 20%. The peak travel periods are identified as late June to early July, mid-July, and mid-August.
Domestic Travel: Long-Haul Journeys Dominate
Ctrip's data shows that over 50% of domestic self-drive tours are rented for five days or more, with Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Xi'an, Urumqi, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Nanjing, and Shenzhen as top destinations. Smaller cities and counties are also gaining popularity, with fifth-tier city orders up by 34% and county-level orders by 22%.
Inbound and Outbound Travel: Policy Benefits Accelerate Growth
The resurgence of inbound and outbound travel is driven by restored supply chains, visa optimizations, and improved payment and accommodation options. China's visa-free policies have sparked a "China Travel" trend on social media, attracting many tourists. Ctrip's report shows summer inbound travel orders doubling year-on-year, with a 1.5-fold increase from 14 visa-free entry countries. Chinese travelers are exploring destinations from African Savanna to South American rainforests and European football fields to Southeast Asian islands, with long-haul travel gaining traction. Top outbound destinations include the US, UK, Australia, France, and Italy.
The Paris Olympics and UEFA European Championship have boosted European travel orders, with bookings to France up 80% and Germany up 1.5 times. This surge in travel coincides with the dominance of family travel, where parent-child travelers account for 48% of domestic and 52% of outbound trips, often favoring rental cars or chartered tours. Educational travel products for families are particularly popular, with orders up 70% year-on-year, featuring immersive school experiences and visits to prestigious universities.
Saudi Arabia: The Fastest-Growing Destination
Saudi Arabia has emerged as the fastest-growing outbound destination for Chinese tourists, driven by the recovery of international flights, with connections between China and the Middle East exceeding 110% of pre-pandemic levels. Ctrip's data shows a nearly fourfold increase in summer bookings to Saudi Arabia compared to last year, making it the top destination in growth rate. This surge is expected to rise further post-July 1st, with a significant increase in inquiries about group tours on Ctrip's platforms.
Ctrip is collaborating with supply chains to offer deep-dive tours to Saudi Arabia and multi-destination tours including Oman and the UAE. Recently, Saudi Arabia has intensified its tourism promotion in China, culminating in a March partnership between the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) and Ctrip Group, aiming to attract 350,000 international tourists. This partnership, one of STA's largest global initiatives, covers areas such as artificial intelligence, content creation, and emerging payment technologies, supporting the "Vision 2030" plan.
Qunar's Insights: Increased Flights to Northwest Small Cities
Qunar's data reveals a significant increase in summer 2024 bookings for flights to small airports in Northwest China, driven by more direct flights from major cities, saving travelers time and boosting local tourism. Partnering with 9 Air, Qunar offered free tickets to university students in Guangzhou to explore these smaller destinations, promoting the vibrant culture and beauty of lesser-known cities. Currently, 245 airports are available for booking on Qunar and other OTAs, with 190 being small airports, accounting for over 70% of the total, further stimulating regional tourism and economic growth.
The 2024 summer travel season is a dynamic period with robust growth in both domestic and international travel markets. Favourable policies, increased flight connectivity, and diverse destinations drive this growth. As travellers seek new and exciting experiences, the tourism industry is well-positioned to meet their evolving needs and preferences.
Contact us to learn how your business can tap into the 2024 summer travel market and accelerate its growth.
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