GTEF2020 | Industry should acclimatize to mainland travelers’ evolved demands: Experts

National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) and the travel trade have to get in early in adapting to the drastic changes in travel behaviors and preferences among mainland travelers in the new normal era, if they wish to grab a slice of this enormous pie to drive quick tourism recovery, travel experts recommended at yesterday’s Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF).
“The travel demand of Chinese travelers will only be temporarily suppressed during the pandemic,” meaning there will be a huge pent-up demand to be released from China once Covid-19 subsides,” said Wang Xinjun, CEO of Ivy Alliance, a leading tourism research and consulting firm in China, commenting on the great potential of China’s tourism market.
In the midst of the health crisis, most global destinations have been eyeing China to accelerate economic revival. As of now, China’s economy and travel market have been the first back on a growth trajectory since the pandemic outbreak.
The strong resilience of China’s tourism market is reflected in its rapidly-recovering domestic travel market.
According to McKinsey & Company, the demand for domestic travel among mainland travelers is “approaching pre-pandemic levels,” with its hotel occupancy rate and the number of domestic flight passengers already at 90% of 2019 levels by August.
Such a rapid revival is mainly driven by the strong travel desires of mainland travelers, which has been channeled into the domestic market while international tourism has remained at a standstill.
Most experts who attended the forum yesterday said that Macau, which has had no new reported cases for many months and is in close proximity to China, is well-positioned to become top of the list for mainland travelers, as they are more likely to opt for short-distance trips to Asian destinations that have had a good track record of controlling Covid-19 post-pandemic.
In view of China’s huge potential, experts called on the city’s travel traders to shape up to accommodate the evolved travel sentiments and needs of mainland travelers in the new normal era.
With safety and health as overriding concerns, Wang suggests that the travel trade conceive more individual tours or private tours as mainland travelers now prioritize closed-group travel instead of group tours to minimize contagion risks.
Besides, he suggests that the industry should bolster health and safety protocols in their services and products to rebuild consumer confidence.
In the opening ceremony of the GTEF, Gao Yunlong, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Honorary Chairman of GTEF, suggested that the tourism sector could tap into advanced technologies, like big data, artificial intelligence and digitalization, to develop smart tourism that can provide “more convenient, more accessible travel experiences” for travelers in China and abroad.
Despite facing a global health crisis, Macau has managed to show signs of recovery ever since the resumption of travel activity between Macau and China in August. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Leong U reaffirmed the fact that China’s tourism market has driven a rapid touirsm rebound in the city.
The GTEF 2020, an annual tourism showcase event hosted by the SAR government, took place yesterday at MGM Macau. It convened global authorities and travel traders to exchange insights and strategies on tourism development in the new normal era. Staff reporter