What rich Chinese tourists want - and where they're going to get it

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This was published 10 years ago

What rich Chinese tourists want - and where they're going to get it

By Robert Upe
Big-spending Chinese tourists clamour for high-end luxury brands.

Big-spending Chinese tourists clamour for high-end luxury brands.Credit: Reuters

Rich Chinese tourists are likely to own three cars and four watches and their leisure preferences after travelling include reading, tea-tasting, driving and spending time with family – in that order.

Further down the list, they like karaoke and foot massages.

Their favourite hotel chain is the Shangri-La and when they shop – which is often – they clamour for high-end French brands such as Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, and Cartier.

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No wonder, then, that France is at the top of their list of preferred overseas luxury destinations.

The profile of the rich travellers has been revealed in the latest research from luxury publishing group Hurun Report, released in Shanghai this week.

The report says there are 600 billionaires in China and 2.8 million millionaires, measured in US dollars.

They are helping drive the top end of the tourist market which last year hit an overall 83 million outbound trips from China. That figure is projected to rise to a staggering 94 million this year, the most travel of any country.

The China Daily recently reported that Chinese travellers spent $US85 billion ($89.6 billion) while overseas last year.

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But Australia is missing out on the big spenders.

This week's report, which aims to calculate the number of Chinese luxury travellers and evaluate their travel and social habits, reiterates research released earlier in the year that Australia is slipping down the rankings as a preferred luxury destination for the wealthy Chinese.

France, the US, Singapore, Switzerland, the UK and Italy are all ahead of Australia, which has dropped from third to seventh place, falling out of the top three where it had been for three years.

Hurun Report chairman Rupert Hoogewerf told Fairfax Media that Australia has done "amazingly well" for Chinese tourists but it is now being overtaken in the luxury field.

"Ten years ago it was the preferred destination for Chinese tourists, full stop. But what's happened, as other countries have come up (such as the US and Switzerland), Australia has dropped down the list for luxury travel," said the Shanghai-based Mr Hoogewerf.

"I don't want to be slated by your tourist authorities, but my overall take is that I don't think the Australian tourist industry in general has put much effort into the luxury consumer. I have not seen any events or media (advertising and marketing) from Australia that is targeting the luxury consumer. Basically they have coasted very nicely. That is my personal opinion. It may not mean things are not happening, but they are on such a low-key profile compared to Singapore, which is all over China and targeting the top end spenders.

"Australia has got the product, but they are shy to shout it from the rooftop."

But Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy said Australia was doing well in attracting high-spending Chinese tourists.

"I'm not sure how many countries there are in the world – around 200 I think – so being rated the seventh-top market for luxury destinations in a market of the size and scale of China is still an incredible achievement," he said.

"China is now our fastest growing visitor market, recently having overtaking the UK as our second largest source of international visitors.

"The Chinese are our highest spending visitor market. We know from our research that the Chinese love to shop and we're certainly not seeing any signs of this appetite, and particularly for luxury goods, waning."

The Hurun Report was released at Shanghai's annual International Luxury Travel Market, where the red carpet has been rolled out all week for a bevy of stars.

But there hasn't been a Hollywood heartthrob or Bollywood idol in sight. The stars in this case are 500 of the world's best resorts, hotels and travel experience operators, mostly rated five-star or better, who have gathered for the luxury travel trade event.

Robert Upe traveller to Shanghai courtesy of the International Luxury Travel Market

Profile of rich Chinese traveller who spends more than $US10,000 per trip

Likes to go to: France, US

Stays at: Shangri-La, Hilton, Peninsula

Travels because of: Shopping, culture, cuisine, business potential

Travels in: First class (13 per cent), business class (62 per cent), economy (25 per cent)

Goes for: 7.4 days

Goes with: 1 to 2 people (16 per cent), 3 to 10 people (68 per cent), more than 11 people (16 per cent).

He wants: Louis Vuitton, Apple, Hermes

She wants: Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Cartier

Smoke: 50 per cent

Favourite sports: Swimming, golf, mountaineering, yoga, badminton

Source: Hurun Report

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