Southeast Asia Shockingly Surpassed The Americas As The Chinese Luxury Traveller’s Choice

The Ritz-Carlton was the most popular hotel group in 2016, followed by the Banyan Tree, the Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Fairmont and the Peninsula.

The popularity of membership schemes are a good indicator of luxury travelers’ overall levels of satisfaction with luxury hotels. Compared with 2015, the Ritz-Carlton membership scheme's popularity rose by 19%, taking the crown from the Hilton as the scheme of choice. Marriott fell to sixth. Younger travelers' preferences remain largely unchanged.

The popularity of the Ritz-Carlton's membership scheme is no surprise given its outstanding reputation among luxury travelers for high-quality service and luxurious standards.

The data according to the results of the 2017 Chinese Luxury Traveller report, issued jointly by Hurun Report and ILTM, focusing on the behavior and demands of China's high-end tourists, to understand and interpret the direction in which the industry is heading.

Holiday hotels are by far the most popular kind of hotel among respondents, gaining 81% of the vote.

Business hotels (18%), B&Bs (9%) and apartments (6%) received significantly lower preference rates.

The relaxing atmosphere, luxurious decor and the variety of high-end services provided by holiday hotels all work in their favor among respondents.

Hotel Service Most Important Consideration, Followed by Room with A View

Along with their growing enthusiasm for personalized travel services, China's high-end tourists are also attaching increasing value to quality of travel services.

Provision of personalized service is the most important factor when choosing a hotel for 49%. The following factors all prioritize hotel facilities and location; good views (48%), room cleanliness (44%), comfortable bedding (34%), good location (44%) and hotel style (36%) all constitute significant deciding factors.

Recomendations from previous guests through word of mouth (17%), value for money (15%) and membership benefits (10%) are of secondary importance to most luxury travelers.

Luxury travelers favor hotels with good locations that can provide them with personalized services, in combination with high-quality, comfortable rooms with good views.

Respondents no longer swarm hotels with leading reputations or simply convinced by discounts, as their tastes become more discerning.

Good service and spectacular views trump reputation and interior design.

Luxury Travelers In terms of accommodation budgets, the average nightly spend is nearly 3,800 yuan, with 28% spending 3,001-5,000 yuan, followed by 1,001-2,000 yuan with 26%.

Hurun Report and International Luxury Travel Market Asia (ILTM Asia) released The Chinese Luxury Traveller 2017: 60% of outbound luxury travellers willing to spend more than 3,000 yuan for a room night and travel business class or first class, adventure travel is the theme of choice for the three years, beach holidays on the rise, becoming a travel theme last year and luxury travel agencies flourish.

Customized travel services have begun to spread, with more than half of high-end travellers said they have experienced it.

A. Travellers prefer adventure tourism, it will be the luxury travel trend in the next three years.

Around World Travel, polar exploration, and outdoor adventures are themes for the Chinese luxury traveller in the next three years. Compared to the dominance of travelling for leisure in the past few years, this year, there is a marked increase in the Chinese luxury travelling for adventure. It should be noted that the Post-80s generation has displayed an increased interest in Africa and the Polar Regions, with numbers rising from 23% and 17% last year to 36% and 32% respectively this year.

B. Seasons significantly influence traveller’s choice of destination.

The time of year has a large bearing on the choice of location. In summer and autumn, the Post-80s luxury travellers possess a marked preference for island-hopping, with Phuket (27%), Maldives (18%) and Fiji (16%) and China's Sanya (16%) are the most popular choices. In winter and spring, Australia (16%) and Phuket (18%) are popular among sun-worshippers, while ski enthusiasts flock to Japan (32%), Canada (8%) and Switzerland (7%) also are traveller’s most likely destination.

C. Island with a Beach

Although Leisure at 41% was still the most popular vacation theme, polar exploration and outdoor adventures have continued their momentum from the past two years and rank second (31%) and fourth (20%) respectively. As a new option in this year’s study, island holidays were the dark horse of vacation themes and surpass both cruises (13%) and self-drive holidays (14%) and other traditional modes of travel to rank third. Island holidays are especially popular among the Post-80s generation and rank first with almost fifty percent (46%).

D.Southeast Asia and Europe are the outbound destination

Last year, Europe and Southeast Asia have grown in popularity as a destination accounting for 45% and 44% of respondents respectively. In just two years, Southeast Asia has successfully surpassed the Americas become the Chinese luxury traveller’s new choice, displaying a shocking 34% increase in millennial favour and jumping from last year’s fourth place to take the crown this year. Rupert Hoogewerf, Hurun Report Chairman and Chief Researcher said: “In the past years, Chinese luxury travellers have gone abroad an average of 3.3 times and stayed for an average of 27 days, with tourism increasing 5% to reach 69%”.

E. Hotels.

Luxury hotels are still the first choice for China's luxury travellers. The Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons hotels are the most popular choices, ranking first and third. Boutique hotels are increasingly favoured, with Banyan Tree jumping from sixth place last year to fourth place this year, while Aman entered the top ten in seventh place.

Hilton is the “Most Popular Luxury Business Hotel” title, with Shangri-La, Sheraton, and top ten newcomer Marriott following closely after. The hotel of the most luxury traveller members is also The Ritz-Carlton, with the popularity of the brand experiencing a 19% increase over the last two years, taking the crown from Hilton.

In two years however, Marriott drop from second to sixth. Rupert Hoogewerf said, “Compared to airline memberships, hotel memberships do not hold as much value”.At 81%, resorts are overwhelmingly popular among luxury travellers and are their favourite type of luxury accommodation. Business hotels (18%), bed and breakfasts (9%), and apartment hotels (6%) are also preferred, but by a much smaller margin of travellers.

60% outbound luxury travellers spend more than 3,000 yuan per night. 32% of luxury travellers have accommodation budgets of over 5,000RMB per night. Humanized Service is the most important consideration, followed by a good view of the room.

At 56%, local cuisine is the most popular hotel restaurant cuisine option for Chinese luxury travellers. Japanese and Cantonese cuisine follow after by 32% and 31% respectively. French cuisine, Italian cuisine and Sichuan cuisine are all topped the list ten, while the Korean cuisine and hot pot did not in top ten.

Private dining room is receiving more attention as venues for private banquets and business dinners.
Accommodation sharing is still in its early stages in the luxury market. Private home-stay options like Airbnb are selected by only 25% of respondents, trailing behind the boutique hotel (48%) and the cruise (45%). 69% of respondents remain neutral or will not explore home-stay in the next three years.

F.China's luxury travellers love comfort when they travel.

61% of respondents, on their most memorable trips, travelled in business or first class. Air China has the most popular membership scheme among domestic airlines (54%), with China Southern Airlines (22.4%) and Cathay Pacific (21.9%) coming in after.

Among foreign airlines, Emirates and Singapore Airlines both run ahead of the pack at 23% and 22% respectively, benefiting from their reputations for offering both cost-effective and high level services. The fact that Singapore and Dubai airports are such important hubs for flight transfers also contribute to their popularity.

G.Quality Of Travel Itineraries

Customized travel services start to spread, with agencies placing a strong emphasis on the quality of travel itineraries to retain customers.More than half of luxury travellers (58%) said that they have experienced customized travel services. They are partial to travel agencies that provide well-designed itineraries, personalized services, and are actively problem-solving, placing 59%, 55%, and 49% of emphasis on each aspect respectively.

The emphasis placed on problem-solving ability of travel agencies has experienced an 11% increase in two years. Agencies in “Hurun Mainland China Outbound Luxury Travel Agencies 2017 Top 12” ranking include 8 Continents, Diadema, D-Lux Travel*, CITS Amex, HHtravel, My Tour, Magic Travel, Ctrip, Zanadu, CITS, CTS, and CYTS.

Agencies in the “Hurun Hong Kong Outbound Luxury Travel Agencies 2017 Top 6” include Wincastle Travel Limited, Cathay Pacific Holidays, Charlotte Travel*, American Express, Swire Travel, and Westminster. Agencies in the “Hurun Taiwan Outbound Luxury Travel Agencies 2017 Top 6” include One Style Tour*, Seascape Escape, Let’s Travel*, American Express, International Travel Information Services, and Lion Travel. (In alphabetical order, *new to list).

H. Travel retail.

While on holiday, Chinese luxury travellers like to purchase cosmetics (45%), local produce (43%), bags and suitcases (39%), clothes and accessories (37%), and jewellery (34%). Other than local produce, the four other most popular purchase categories are all dominated by female consumers. Compared to numbers two years ago, there is a noticeable increase in the percentage of travellers who bought cosmetics. With regard to the purpose of the purchase, 76% of purchases are personal, while 47% of purchases are gifts, and 4% are purchased on the behalf of others.



Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com

QATAR: Qatar Airways Offering Free Luxury Hotel, Visa To Passengers Stopping Over In Doha

Qatar Airways has launched a unique stopover package in partnership with Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) to promote and market Qatar as a destination of choice for international travellers, offering transit passengers the opportunity to discover Doha with free luxury hotel stays and complimentary transit visas.

The unique offer is part of a broader campaign called +Qatar which looks to encourage all transit passengers to consider adding Qatar to their itinerary.

This unique offer from QTA and Qatar Airways allows passengers travelling through Doha to experience a taste of the Middle East for free.

Throughout the summer, the national carrier, with the support of QTA, will give passengers the chance to turn a layover into a stayover by offering four and five star hotel accommodation at no charge to those transiting through Doha.

The promotion invites all Qatar Airways passengers to add Doha to their vacation by taking advantage of a free one-night hotel stay from a selection of the country’s best four- and five-star hotels in Doha.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is more than just a national flag-carrier for Qatar; we are proudly patriotic and want to share Qatar’s many exciting attractions with our passengers from around the world. This exclusive initiative provides the opportunity to add an extra element to our passengers’ existing travel plans with a complimentary hotel stay in some of Doha’s finest hotels.

We want to ensure that our passengers have a memorable experience every time they travel with Qatar Airways, and now, we’re going even further to make sure that we exceed their expectations.”

Chief Tourism Development Officer, Qatar Tourism Authority, Hassan Al Ibrahim, said: “It was a great source of pride for all of us in Qatar when we launched the transit visa last November. We have already seen a surge in stopover passengers, with a 53 per cent increase recorded in March 2017, compared to the same month last year.

With the launch of +Qatar today, we aim to convert a larger portion of the 30 million passengers passing through Hamad International Airport into stopover visitors. We are delighted to make Qatar more accessible to people from around the world and invite them to discover our country, our cultural heritage and our natural treasures.”

Passengers transiting through Doha can extend their stay to make the most of their journey taking in the sights of Doha with a completely free night courtesy of Qatar Airways and QTA or stay a little longer with a second night’s stay for a modest $50 booking fee.

Passengers can choose from hotels such as The Four Seasons, Marriott Marquis, Radisson Blu and Oryx Rotana.

The free hotel accommodation, available throughout the summer, will offer passengers the opportunity to explore Doha and experience city tours, desert safari adventures or a dinner cruise aboard a traditional dhow, giving visitors a taste of authentic Arabian hospitality, courtesy of Discover Qatar.

To be eligible for this offer, passengers simply book their flight on www.qatarairways.com, select ‘multi-city’ and choose their hotel once they receive their flight confirmation. The online transit visa application is also free and is eligible for those in transit between five and 96 hours.

This ground-breaking offer is available for all Qatar Airways passengers, both Premium and Economy, demonstrating the airline’s commitment to its brand ethos of ‘Going Places Together’.

To maximise their time in Qatar, visitors can explore additional stopover packages offered by Discover Qatar.

This unique offer with QTA has been launched by Qatar Airways' newly created destination management company, Discover Qatar, and is just one of many new initiatives that will be launched over the coming months to generate awareness of, and visits to, Qatar.

It was designed to kick off the newly launched campaign ‘+Qatar’ from Qatar Tourism Authority and is aimed at supporting the growing demand for tourism in Qatar.

This exciting and innovative announcement comes as the airline celebrates its 20th year of operations, marking two decades of growth, industry leadership and innovation.

This year, Hamad International Airport (HIA) was also ranked the Sixth Best Airport in the World by the 2017 Skytrax World Airport Awards, as well as having been named Best Airport in the Middle East for the third consecutive year, and recognised as having the Best Staff Service in the Middle East for the second year in a row.

Known for introducing industry firsts, Qatar Airways is one of the fastest-growing airlines operating one of the youngest fleets in the world. Qatar Airways has a modern fleet of 197 aircraft flying to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations across six continents. Exciting new destinations being launched in 2017 include Nice, Chang Mai, Dublin and Skopje.

Qatar Airways invites passengers to start planning their next trip with amazing discounts on flights across all cabin classes. With the airline’s Global Sales Campaign, which starts on April 26 and lasts through May 3, families, friends and couples can book flights to any destination across the airline’s network of more than 150 destinations across the globe, with validity to travel until June 21, 2017.

Travellers can now avail offer of up to 40% off on all-inclusive fares. To take advantage of this offer, travellers should visit their travel agent, any Qatar Airways sales office or qatarairways.com/travelnow.

Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer Ehab Amin said: “We are delighted to be able to offer our passengers such a wide variety of choice in choosing a destination. With this new promotion, passengers can easily choose where to go next with amazing offers across all of our cabin classes. Travellers are truly spoilt for choice with Qatar Airways’ extended network of more than 150 destinations.”

Recently the airline revealed its latest premium class product “Qsuite,” a fully transformable suite of seats that allows parties of two, three or four to create their own unique space within the Business Class cabin.

This game-changing patented design is set to transform the face of aviation and Business Class travel by bringing a First Class product to the Business Class cabin. Qsuite also features the first ever double bed in Business Class, another ground-breaking innovation brought to passengers by Qatar Airways.

The airline was named the World’s Best Business Class by Skytrax in 2016, and its home hub, Hamad International Airport, was also recently given five stars at the Skytrax World Airport Awards, as well as being named the World’s Sixth Best Airport.

Qatar Airways is one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, with a network of more than 150 destinations. The airline will add a number of exciting new destinations to its growing network in 2017, including Chiang Mai, Yanbu, Dublin, Nice, Skopje and many more, flying passengers on board its modern fleet of 195 aircraft.

More Hotels Opening Soon

At least eight new and/or refurbished hotels – including the first Radisson Red Hotel in Africa - are set to open their doors across the world in the next twelve months, thereby offering a range of facilities to the corporate market. This is according to Conference and Incentive Travel.

In January, the 146-room Barceló Emperatriz with two meeting rooms opens in Madrid in Spain while the Four Seasons in Abu Dhabi is also scheduled to open in the next few months. This 34-floor property will feature 190 rooms as well as 1,290sqm of meeting and conference facilities.

In April the St Regis Langkawi in Malaysai is expected to open its doors. This hotel will feature six different meeting and event spaces, while the Conrad Pune set for a May opening will boast a range of meeting and event spaces including a 2438sqm ballroom and four boardrooms.

In mid 2016 the Astral Tower at The Star Sydney in Australia will complete its refurbishment process targeting especially business travellers.

It is not yet known when work at the Eventpark in Zurich in Switzerland will be completed but this facility will accommodate 3000 people sitting or 5000 standing across a range of spaces, including a 2000sqm event arena.

The Melia Yangon will be the first property for Meila Hotels in Myanmar having identified the Asia Pacific region for expansion. A wide range of meeting facilities will be available at the hotel.

In late 2016 the first Radisson Red Hotel will open at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. With 235 guest rooms and five meeting and event studios this hotel will be walking distance from the Cape Town Convention Centre.

ST KITTS & NEVIS: Head To Nevis In Style

Four Seasons Resort Nevis has launched a new strategic partnership with YU Lounge, offering guests the option to bookend their stay with a private, personalized arrival and departure experience at Robert L Bradshaw Airport in St Kitts.

As soon as guests step off the plane, they will be taken via luxury vehicle directly to the lounge, where they will enjoy drinks and culinary delicacies created by the YU Lounge’s own chef while their luggage, customs, and immigration are taken care of by the lounge’s service team.

The lounge comes equipped with flat-screen TVs, computers, free Wi-Fi, a variety of magazines, and a seating area for guests to enjoy until the formalities are complete, at which point they will board transfer to Port Zante to embark on the Four Seasons’ private launch.

During the 40-minute crossing to the resort’s on-property dock in Nevis, guests can indulge in complimentary local beers, fruit punch, and Four Seasons’ signature rum punch, until they arrive at the resort to find their luggage waiting in their rooms.

“With our new YU Lounge relationship, Four Seasons Resort Nevis guests can enjoy personalized service and unprecedented convenience from the jet way to the fairways,” said Ed Gannon, General Manager of Four Seasons Resort Nevis. “We’re very glad to partner with the YU Lounge to further elevate the guest experience between St. Kitts Airport and Four Seasons Resort Nevis. ”