Chinese tourists spend $229 billion in 2015

NUREMBERG, Germany - GfK's latest analyses of the Chinese market show that China produced 109 million outbound tourists in 2015 - with retail spend of $229 billion. This is a key milestone in China's outbound tourism history.

These statistics consolidate China's position as one of the top global sources of tourists, in terms of both number of trips and money spent during international travel. At the same time, there have been profound changes in the behavior of the typical Chinese traveler, with Chinese Millennials firmly established as the core drivers of China's outbound tourism spending.

Chinese travelers looking for new destinations

Up until 2013, Hong Kong was the preferred destination for mainland China's outbound tourists, driven by its cultural similarity, lower travel costs and accessibility via short-distance travel. On top of this, Hong Kong offered a shopping paradise, and that was a strong motivating factor for mainland Chinese tourists at that time.

But since 2014, increasing numbers of China's outbound tourists have been opting for other destinations that offer historical and cultural experiences, as well as shopping.

By the start of November 2015, the top five favorite destinations for mainland Chinese travelers (counting air and overnight visits), were South Korea (representing a traveler increase of 112 percent since 2011), Thailand (up 263 percent), Hong Kong (up 37 percent), Japan (up 157 percent) and Taiwan (up 54 percent).

Full story: http://www.eturbonews.com/67539/chinese-tourists-spend-229-billion-2015

-- eTN 2016-01-14

So how much of that was spent in visits to Thailand? How much was actually spent in Thailand, not for the all inclusive tour packages they usually travel on. Very few local businesses see much of those few remaining RMB.

How much of that Chinese money was counterfeit?

Where are the economic facts of the high spenders on long distant travel to other countries missing from these figures. $2000 per tourist spend in south east Asia does not add up. I hear the taxi drivers moaning about the lack of business here. The Thai government at the end of last year even had to encourage its own citizens to spend in the shops to boost the economy. That $2000 per head is definitely not arriving in Thailand.

CP will be happy because the only money Chinese spend inside Thailand is when the bus drops them of at a 7/11.