As the Chinese New Year draws closer, Ctrip, China’s largest Travel agency has released data indicating that more than 6 million Chinese traveled out of the country last year. According to predictions for this new year, things are bound to peak up again. While Chinese usually celebrate New Year with their family and friends and enjoy the festivities back home, more residents are tempted to travel to avoid the throat choking smog that cloaks the various cities of China in the winter time.
Pollution remains a cause of concern for many, with visibility being reduced to just a few hundred feet each day. As a result, traffic snarls are getting worse, with both outbound and inbound lanes being choked by smog, pollution, and slow traffic. It is to avoid this scenario that many Chinese prefer traveling to other locations, preferably outside China.
But apart from this urge to avoid pollution, thanks to online exposure and media, more and more Chinese have gotten the urge to see the world. In fact, one Chinese boy was recently in the news for having defaced one of the pyramids in Egypt for which he was publicly chastised.
The favored destinations of the Chinese are usually the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan. While earlier on, only the affluent Chinese could afford the trip abroad, more and more travel companies have started offering packages with discounted rates resulting in the Tourism Industry growing exponentially across China. Moreover, according to various sources, China can expect the outbound tourism to grow even further in the coming months.
With more tour operators offering customized tour packages, for destinations such as Egypt, US, and Australia with a complete all-inclusive discounted rate, more Chinese are expected to head to new destinations this Chinese New Year. One can expect similar trends from other countries as well, with China leading the pack.