Chinese New Year international

travel Outlook 2017

Where?

One month ahead of the Rooster Year, the Chinese are prepared to seek out new
destinations for their New Years week-long holidays, starting from January 27th.
ForwardKeys, which monitors future travel patterns by analysing 16 million
ight reservation transactions each day, found that globally the number of
international Chinese air travellers is ahead by 9.8% vs. 2016s equivalent period. East Asian countries are the hot spot for Chinese tourists and Europe makes a comeback as a star destination after
last years security concerns.

International departures
from China
as per issued bookings
on 30th December

2017s busy period

18 Jan - 1 Feb

North
East Asia
-1.8%

10% share

39% share

Latin
America
+62.9%

Africa&
Middle East
+67.1%

<1% share

Public holiday period

27 Jan - 2 Feb

9.8%

11% share

U.S.A. &
Canada
+3.3%

When?

CNY
2016

Europe
+68.5%

International departures
YoY%

When are Chinese planning to travel during their holidays?

CNY
2017

Where are Chinese going this year?

+
market share

Weekend

Weekend

Weekend

Japan

Weekend

Oceania
-1.1%
7% share

most increasing among top25 destinations

Taiwan

Spain

88.7%

United Kingdom

87.7%
69.3%

United Arab Emirates

2017 Saturday, 18th Feb

2016 Monday, 29th Feb

CNY 2017 Saturday, 28th Jan

CNY 2016 Monday, 8 Feb

2017 Saturday, 14th Jan

2016 Monday, 25th Jan

Thailand

28% share

2017s trendiest destinations

Top 3 destinations
Weekend

2% share

3% share

Last year, 78% of bookings for international

travels during Chinese New Year holidays
were already issued by the previous month.

South
East Asia
+12.2%

South
Asia
+10.8%

Italy

Departures from 15th January to 18th February 2017, as per bookings issued until 30th December 2016 vs. 25th January to 29th February 2016, as per bookings issued
until 10th January 2016. Excluded: one way tickets, transits.

18.2%

ForwardKeys

5.2%

Day with most departures

12.4%

59.1%

France

48.6%

Malaysia

46.3%

Indonesia

37.8%

Phillippines

When departures concentrate

31.8%

Germany

1 out of 3 travellers will y in the 4 days previous to the

beginning of public holidays.

29.6%
YoY Var%

The average lenght of stay at destinations is 8 days

44.0%

Vietnam

Thursday 26th, inmediately prior to holiday period.

*
*

Busy period: 18th January to 1st February 2017, as of 30th December 2016 vs. 29th January to 12th February 2016, as of 10th January 2016.
Excluded: one way tickets, transits. Subcontinents as per UNWTO denition.

ForwardKeys

Focus in Europe

Who?

Where are the travellers from?

Combined 1st tier

Departures to Europe during the Chinese New Year 2017 YoY%

8.7%

Shanghai

YoY Var%

Others

6.7%

12%

36%

9.8%

share

34%

YoY Var%

ForwardKeys

Northern
Europe

69%

42%

100%

101%

34%

31%

24%

11%

share

66%
Busy period: 18th January to 1st February 2017, as of 30th
December 2016 vs. 29th January to 12th February 2016, as
of 10th January 2016. Excluded: one way tickets, transits.

Western
Europe

Southern
Europe

(Shanghai, Beijing & Guangzhou)

Beijing

21%

15.3%

9%

Guangzhou

2.9%

Central/Eastern
Europe

Busy period: 18th January to 1st February 2017, as of 30th December 2016 vs. 29th January to 12th February 2016, as of 10th January 2016.
Subcontinents as per UNWTO denition. Excluded: one way tickets, transits.

Departures to Europe during

the Chinese New Year
compared to 2015

The Chinese are returning to Europe

to celebrate the Golden Week

2017 vs 2015
56%

Longer stays
Tourists from smaller cities stay one day longer
(9 overnights vs. 8 for 1st Tier travellers).

Families
Half of the travellers (51%) are families (2 to 4 people).

Farsighted tourists
Lead times are longer in 1st tier cites (an average of 17%).

Offline bookers
In smaller cities, only 14% of bookings were issued
by online travel agencies vs. 26% in 1st tier cities.

Long haul travellers

36% of tourists from 1st tier cities travel out
of Asia (vs. 23% of tourists from other cities).

Top5 share
2017

2015

1. Spain
2. UK
3. Italy
4. Germany
5. France

1. France
2. Italy
3. Germany
4. UK
5. Spain

ForwardKeys

+40%

+100%
YoY Var%

Excluded: one way tickets, transits.. CNY periods: 2017: 18th January to 1st February, as of 30th December. 2015: 9th February to 23th February, as of 21st January.

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