Many developed Western economies faced a multitude of problems, including a lack of confidence, rising unemployment and safety and security issues due to the global financial crisis. Under this circumstance, the Chinese outbound tourism has maintained its momentum in the global tourism market. Countries whose tourism sectors were hit hard during the financial crisis are now hopeful of recovery again
Between 2011 and 2016, the number of Chinese outbound tourists grew from around 70 million to 122 million. Ge Huayong, the Chairman of China UnionPay, stated to the WTTC in April that the Chinese tourism industry is now the 15th most competitive in the world. And according to the UNWTO, China has been the number one source market for outbound tourism in the world since 2012.
The rapid growth of Chinese outbound tourism has actually brought in positive changes in many places around the world. In 2016, 6.37 million Chinese visited Japan, representing 26 percent of all its foreign travelers. In total, Chinese tourists spent 1.47 trillion Japanese yen (US$13 billion), making them the country’s biggest foreign spenders. In South Korea too, Chinese visitors contributed to the maximum number of tourists compared to those from any other country. Chinese tourists also have had a sizable impact on long-distance markets like Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the United States.
