Report Release | "2018 Tourism Economic Operation Review" Series Report (I): Tourism Consumption

In 2018, the integration of culture and tourism started smoothly, tourism consumption continued to rise, industrial innovation became more active, social responsibility became more pragmatic, the linkage driving effect was steadily improved, and tourist satisfaction and the sense of gain of employees and residents were steadily improved. 2019 is a key year for the integration of culture and tourism to shift from administrative departments to the market. The development of the tourism economy is expected to be optimistic, the vitality of tourism consumption will be further accumulated and released, high-quality and fashionable tourism products will be popular in the market, national strategies and tourism exchanges will effectively promote the development of tourism in the new era, and the people's sense of gain from tourism will be further enhanced.

1. New changes and highlights in tourism consumption in 2018

1. The integration of culture and tourism improves tourism consumption. In 2018, the integration of culture and tourism has made new progress. The whole-region tourism focuses on a better life, and the quality improvement and performance improvement are becoming more and more obvious. The national tourism consumption demand remains strong, domestic tourism continues to grow at a high speed, inbound and outbound tourism develops steadily, the trend of regional tourism balance is further revealed, and the role of tourism in diplomacy and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan affairs is more prominent. The number of domestic tourists, tourism revenue and total tourism revenue in my country is expected to increase by more than double digits throughout the year, and the number of inbound and outbound tourists and international tourism revenue indicators are in line with expectations.

2. Holiday tourism consumption has become a new folk custom. In 2018, the proportion of outdoor leisure for urban residents on weekends and holidays gradually increased, leisure space continued to expand, leisure activities became increasingly abundant, and holiday tourism and leisure continued to grow steadily. During the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, May Day and Dragon Boat Festival, the total number of domestic tourists increased by 12.1%, 8.3%, 9.3% and 7.9% respectively year-on-year, and domestic tourism revenue increased by 12.6%, 8.0%, 10.2% and 7.3% respectively. The integration of culture and tourism makes holiday travel consumption more fashionable and high-quality. During the holidays, colorful folk festivals and holiday tourism products, especially experiential activities that deeply integrate intangible cultural heritage and natural heritage tourism, continue to be popular. Cultural performances, museums and scenic spots focusing on cultural IP gradually win the favor of tourists. During the National Day in 2018, more than 90% of tourists participated in cultural activities, and the overall market increased by 35% year-on-year. Among them, ticket consumption in cultural scenic spots increased by 58% year-on-year, and the number of tourists attracted by cultural performances increased by 12% compared with the same period last year.

3. Consumption upgrade and coordinated development of consumption stratification. The demand for quality consumption has become increasingly prominent. During the National Day in 2018, the proportion of users who booked Ctrip's high-end group tour products was as high as 88%. Pure fun without shopping, high-star hotels, exclusive tour guides, exquisite small groups, and customized tours have become the top categories of domestic tours this year. Key words. Urban leisure tourism is rising rapidly. With the continuous development of my country's economy, residents' living standards continue to improve. Measured by consumption levels, the number of urban leisure tourists with a daily consumption of 20-50 US dollars is growing rapidly, and the tourism consumption market has huge potential. Traveling for “good food and beautiful accommodation” is becoming increasingly common. The specialty snack industry is rising rapidly, and tourists' consumption of small-scale catering is growing rapidly, and its proportion continues to increase. The integration and innovation of tourism and culture, creativity, and technology are accelerating. Beijing Tourism Group proposed that future investment and capital operation areas will focus on the lifestyle service industry. Caesar's "Caesar Hotels" brand builds a new scene for the integration of culture and tourism. Ctrip launched "Lvjing" S2B new retail platform. Quality group tours are a popular market, and the consumption of group tours by the elderly in Shanghai has increased significantly. Per capita consumption increased significantly in 2018, up 11% from 2017. "Internet celebrity elements" help increase the influence of destinations. Tourism cities such as Daocheng and Xi'an are greatly affected by Internet celebrity elements, with growth exceeding 100%.

4. Red tourism highlights the charm of the times. In 2018, the number of visits and study activities in red tourism scenic spots increased significantly, and more than half of the study tours included red tourism destinations or incorporated red cultural elements. Young people have a stronger sense of identity with red culture. Young people began to occupy the majority of tourists, and the tourist structure is quietly getting younger. The integration and innovation of red tourism scenic spots with culture, creativity and technology has formed a strong attraction for young tourists. People born in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s have gradually become the backbone of red tourism. It has become a highlight that parents born in the 1980s bring their children born in the 2010s to visit red tourism destinations. The quality of red tourism has attracted attention. Tourists are more interested in scenic spots with distinctive characteristics and prominent cultural themes. Red tourism destinations that are closely integrated with natural scenery and leisure vacations are very popular. New models such as "red tourism + film and television + rural tourism", study tours, "sightseeing vacation + red tourism", and in-depth experience have driven the spread of red culture. The innovation of red tourism products has accelerated. Innovative models such as immersive experience are popular, and a number of tourism products such as "red tourism +", special education and training brands, and red film and television bases have been formed.

5. The national image of the "Chinese Dream" and the "Belt and Road" initiative boosted the inbound market. Under the continuous promotion of the "Belt and Road" national initiative, the development of a series of tourism year activities, a series of diplomatic activities and conferences, as well as the positive factors such as visa facilitation and the increase in international routes, the inbound foreign tourism market has achieved sustained and steady growth.

6. The quality of inbound tourism is improving. The number of inbound overnight tourists has been growing steadily, and the comprehensive benefits of inbound tourism continue to emerge. From January to September 2018, the total number of inbound overnight tourists received by my country showed a steady growth trend. During the same period, the growth rate of the number of inbound overnight tourists received by my country was 2.28 percentage points higher than the growth rate of the total number of inbound tourists. The quality of inbound tourism services is continuing to improve, and tourism foreign exchange income is stable and expanding.

7. Outbound tourists are traveling further and further. Driven by the deepening of the “Belt and Road” strategy, visa convenience, continuous optimization of the payment environment and the Chinese language environment, the number of outbound tourists from the medium and long-distance market has increased significantly. In 2018, Chinese tourists visited 157 countries. In addition to traditional popular destinations, more niche and unpopular countries are being discovered and liked by Chinese tourists. Taking Antarctica, the farthest outbound destination, as an example, the 2018-2019 Antarctic tourism season is expected to exceed 10,000 people. One in every five tourists to Antarctica in the world is Chinese. China has become the "superpower" of Antarctic tourism. The "Welcome China" project is being promoted globally to provide Chinese service standards for outbound tourists and improve the convenience and comfort of outbound travel. The upgrade of overseas payment methods has brought more convenience to outbound tourists. Taking China UnionPay as an example, the UnionPay card acceptance network currently extends to 168 countries and regions, covering more than 23 million overseas merchants and 1.64 million ATMs.

8. Outbound tourism is becoming more life-oriented and quality-oriented. Localized tourism experiences such as food, natural exploration, outdoor sports, winter and summer escapes, urban leisure, in-depth experiences, and recuperation are increasingly favored by Chinese tourists, and local guides have become this year's "Internet celebrities". The proportion of shopping has shrunk, and the content of shopping has changed to daily necessities, and consumer behavior has shifted to rationality. Cultural needs continue to increase. During this year's National Day holiday, museum tourism began to become popular. Cultural and art centers such as the Prado Museum, Pingtung Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, the Russian Winter Palace, and the Van Gogh Museum are popular among Chinese tourists. Customized tours are growing rapidly, innovative group tours are revitalized, and private tours are growing rapidly, accounting for nearly 10%. Data from Ctrip's customized travel platform shows that the growth rate of second- and third-tier cities has begun to exceed that of first-tier cities. Taking the European customized travel market as an example, among the top ten cities with the fastest growth, all are emerging second-tier cities represented by Wuhan, Chengdu, Nanjing, and Hangzhou.

2. Prediction of tourism consumption trends in 2019

1. The vitality of tourism consumption will be further accumulated and released. In 2019, the introduction of more active consumption policies will surely promote the growth of tourism consumption. Since September 2017, the consumer confidence index has been above 115 for 13 consecutive months, which is at a high level in the past three decades.

2. The integration of culture and tourism is beneficial to residents' demand for a better life. In the new era of the integrated development of culture and tourism, the core demands of tourists are shifting from beautiful scenery to a better life. Driven by new factors such as capital, cultural creation, technology, and entrepreneurship, the integrated development of culture and tourism will be more in-depth.

3. High-quality and fashionable products will be popular in the tourism market. As young consumers begin to dominate the new landscape of the tourism market, their consumption preferences will drive profound changes in the tourism market and promote the development of new and fashionable tourism consumption demands such as summer tourism, ice and snow tourism, night tourism, RV travel, cruise travel, mountain tourism, museum travel, sports tourism, etc.

4. Integration and IP innovation will be the new direction of market development. Supported by data technology, integrated innovation based on tourism + culture, sports, agriculture, fashion industry, etc., as well as IP innovation based on content construction, are bringing new impetus to cultural and tourism innovation.

5. National strategies and tourism exchanges boost tourism development in the new era. With the full realization of the "Chinese Dream" of a well-off society, the deepening of the "Belt and Road" initiative, and the in-depth advancement of the national strategy of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the free movement of people in the region, more international tourists and tourism industry cooperation are showing a favorable trend. The upcoming China-Singapore Tourism Year in 2019 will continue to inject new impetus into tourism exchanges and cooperation and the development of comprehensive strategic partnerships in the new era.

Source: China Tourism Academy (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism)

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