Chinese Travellers Choose Canada's Niagara Falls as top bucket list destination

• Increase in visits and spending among findings in latest Hotels.com Chinese International Travel Monitor
  
  
• Younger millennials and affluent travellers fuel 20 percent growth in Chinese outbound travellers to 107 million
  
  
• The Pyramids, Mount Fuji and Niagara Falls are among the top global landmarks outside China that Chinese travellers would most like to visit in their lifetimes
  
  
• 80 percent of Chinese travellers have used electronic devices including mobile, desktop and laptops to plan and book travel, up from 53 percent last year

TORONTO, July 21, 2015 /CNW/ - If you think you've noticed more Chinese tourists in your city lately, you're not mistaken. According to global accommodation booking website Hotels.com®, Chinese travellers continue to take the world by storm, up 20 percent to 107 million in 2014¹.They're also younger, more independent-minded, tech-savvy – and increasingly cashed-up.

But where are they headed? According to the survey, Australia, Japan and France are the most desired destinations to visit in the next 12 months.

Top 10 destinations Chinese travellers say they would like to visit in the next 12 months

Rank	Country
1	Australia
2	Japan
3	France
4	Hong Kong
5	South Korea
6	USA
7	Maldives
8	Germany
9	Thailand
10	Taiwan

Credible insights from travellers, hoteliers and proprietary data
Surveying more than 3,000 Chinese international travellers and 1,500 hoteliers from around the world, the annual Hotels.com™ Chinese International Travel Monitor (CITM) examines the growth trends in mainland Chinese international travellers and the impact this is having on the global travel industry.

The findings are startling: outbound Chinese travellers could number around 174 million in four years' time, spending about CDN$342 billion* annually, according to forecasts². This is roughly equivalent to the GDP of a developed country like Singapore³.

According to 2015 searches on Hotels.com from greater China, the most visited destinations in Canada were Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal; followed by Markham, Banff, Niagara Falls, Calgary, Victoria and Whistler. Although Toronto is the most popular overall destination for international travellers, according to the latest Hotel Price Index (HPI) Vancouver and four other Western cities are top spots among Chinese travellers.

Lifetime landmarks
Of the landmarks outside China they'd most like to visit in their lifetimes, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and Mount Fuji top their wish list, although Canada's Niagara Falls was still a contender in the eighth spot.

Top 10 foreign landmarks for Chinese travellers

Rank	Landmark
1	Pyramids of Giza (Egypt)
2	Mount Fuji (Japan)
3	Eiffel Tower (Paris, France)
4	Palace of Versailles (Paris)
5	Venice (Italy)
6	Grand Canyon (USA)
7	Himalayas/Mount Everest
8	Niagara Falls (Canada)
9	Acropolis of Athens (Greece)
10	Sydney Opera House (Australia)

"This year's report is another wake-up call to host countries around the world to pull out all the stops to accommodate Chinese travellers and tailor their services for this market as the potential is huge," said Abhiram Chowdhry, Vice President and Managing Director Asia Pacific for the Hotels.com brand "These new globetrotters really enjoy travelling. They are younger, more independent, highly tech-savvy, happy to spend – and they know exactly what they want."

Other key findings of Hotels.com CITM:

• The average total amount spent per day by Chinese international travellers in 2014 was 3,324 RMB (CAD$653) including accommodation, with most splashing the cash on shopping, dining and sightseeing. This compares with 13,800 RMB (CAD$2,713) per day for the top 10 percent of Chinese travellers, parting with four times more than the average. 
  
  
• The Hotels.com CITM identifies the growing influence of Gen Y travellers – the so-called 'millennials' aged 18 to 35. Fifty-nine percent of hoteliers surveyed say they've experienced an increase in Chinese guests aged 35 or under in the past year. The growth is especially strong in the Asia Pacific region, where 78 percent of hoteliers reported an increase.
  
  
• In the past 12 months, 80 percent of Chinese travellers have used online devices including mobile, desktop and laptops to plan and book travel, compared with only 53 percent last year. Half of all Chinese international travellers now use apps on their smart phones to plan and book trips, up from just 17 percent the year prior.

*Unless otherwise indicated, RMB-CDN$ exchange rates in this survey were taken on April 30, 2015 of CAD $1= RMB 5.0872.

For additional materials or to view the full Hotels.com Chinese International Travel Monitor 2015, visit www.CITM2015.com or see the press room here:

About the research

The Chinese travellers' survey was commissioned during May 2015 by IPSOS, a world leader in market research, global market information and business analysis, to conduct a research study amongst a sample of 3,000 eligible respondents across mainland China. Minimum thresholds were set on key demographics such as age, gender and region to ensure a representative sample that would allow analysis of sub-groups. The questionnaire covered topics including, but not limited to, travel behaviour, booking methods and accommodation choices.

For the opinion of hoteliers, a global survey of more than 1,500 Hotels.com hotel partners during May 2015. Responses were received from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK and the USA.

About Hotels.com
Hotels.com, L.P. operates Hotels.com (also known in Canada as Hotels.ca), a leading online accommodation booking website with properties ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favourites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay. Special apps for mobile phones and tablets can also be downloaded enabling customers to book on the go with access to 20,000 last minute deals.

© 2015 Hotels.com, LP. Hotels.com, The Obvious Choice and the Hotels.com logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotels.com, LP in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. CST # 2083949-50

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1}  http://www.travelchinaguide.com/tourism/
² http://www.chinatravelnews.com/article/90046
³ http://www.heritage.org/index/explore?view=by-variables

SOURCE Hotels.com

Image with caption: "Within Canada, west coast destinations like Vancouver and Banff dominated those most visited by Chinese travellers (CNW Group/Hotels.com)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150721_C4312_PHOTO_EN_449583.jpg

Press contacts: Lauren Wasley, energiPR for Hotels.com, Phone: [phone] x19, Email: [email protected], Twitter: @energiPR; Taylor L. Cole, APR, Hotels.com North America, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected], Twitter: @TravelwithTLC