Customised travel the next big thing for Chinese travellers

27 Jun 2018 2092 | World Travel News

Tailor-made tours are rapidly growing in popularity among China’s increasingly sophisticated travellers, but South-east Asian destinations can still do more to tap and serve them, shared Chinese buyers at the recent Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+).

Vicky Ni, general manager, Shanghai Huantai International Travel Service, foresees customised travel will “become explosive” within the next two years. She said: “Everyone perceives China to be a mass market but in reality the bespoke segment is growing fast.”

With the rise of custom itineraries, lesser known destinations in Thailand such as Khao Yai (pictured) are becoming more requested

Recognising the growth potential of this segment, Shanghai Huantai has launched a customised travel department last year to craft trips specific to high-end customers’ desires.

While group tours remain a staple market for Sea Lion Holiday, the Guangzhou-based company is already seeing signs of emergence of the bespoke tourism market in China, product manager Yuan Huiju shared.

“Customised tours will clearly be the trend in future, especially for the repeat market, as Chinese travellers will no longer stick to group tours for their return visits to a destination,” Yuan remarked. Plans are afoot too for the company to expand into this segment, she told TTG Asia.

The Chinese tailor-made tour market is especially a fast-growing one for Thailand, observed Fang Yaqin, Beijing-based product manager for Alibaba Group Holding in Thailand, owing to Chinese travellers’ familiarity with the destination.

Chinese repeat travellers to Thailand are more inclined to seek itineraries and programmes customised to their own interests and preferences, she added.

Already, destinations farther afield from Bangkok, like Kanchanaburi and Khao Yai, as well as Koh Lipe and Koh Lanta in the south are developing as new favourites.