Tapping the Chinese outbound market has become a top priority for many destinations. Not surprising, Chinese travelers are one of the fastest growing markets in both arrivals and expenditures — as SW Associates has seen with every client and every project this year. Everybody wants a slice of the Chinese outbound market.

Over the past month following the World Travel Market in London, there has been a steady stream of reports and articles focusing on the fast growth of Chinese travel. The following are some highlights, which we found interesting and useful:

Starting with WTM…

• Euromonitor International reported that the Chinese are expected to spend US$57 billion on accommodation domestically and internationally this year.
• About 58 million Chinese traveled outside China in 2010 with outbound forecast to grow by 20%.
• Chinese tourism investment in the Caribbean is rapidly increasing.
• Three WTM seminars on the Chinese market
  • China outbound clinic by China travel expert, Dr. Wolfgang Arlt
  • Workshop on the New Chinese Tourists – Tom Jenkins, the Executive Director of ETOA, Jens Thraenhardt, President of Dragon Trail and again with Dr. Arlt.
  • Seminar on China’s MICE market development

And from the October 2011 UNWTO Barometer…

• Over the past decade, Chinese tourism expenditures have gone from US$13 billion to US$58 billion! 30% growth from 2009 to 2010!

And from ChinaTravelTrends.com (December 2nd, 2011)…

• “[F]or destinations and companies not located on the beaten track, the much hyped deluge of Chinese tourists has, until now, been little more than a mirage…With the start of the second wave of China’s outbound tourism, all this is changing. The “New Chinese Touristsâ€, knowledgeable, sophisticated, travel-savvy and predominantly below 45 years of age, are entering the scene. New Chinese tourists look for deeper experiences and closer contact with local host populations during their self-organized trips. Click here for the full article.
• By the end of 2011, the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI) is estimating that Chinese outbound trips will total 65 million.

And from the Tourism Research Centre, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)…

• For further details about the Chinese outbound market, as well as the domestic and inbound markets, one of the most authoritative sources is the 2011 Green Book of China’s Tourism:

The Green Book of China’s Tourism is compiled annually in Chinese by the Tourism Research Centre, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the highest-ranking academic institution in China. It includes reports on China’s domestic, inbound and outbound tourism. In 2011 for the first time Social Sciences Academic Press (SSAP) of China and COTRI are cooperating to present this translation in English. The Green Book of China’s Tourism offers 16 chapters edited by tourism experts Zhang Guangrui, Song Rui and Liu Deqian and written by foremost academics, administrators and practitioners of tourism in China. The Green Book provides comprehensive analysis, forecast and prospect on key issues in Chinese tourism related to the industry, government policy, destinations and tourism research.