On March 20, 2024, Beijing, China - In the spring of 2024, with the favorable policies of visa free and batch resumption of flights, the outbound tourism market experienced a hot rise. The latest data released by the China Tourism Research Institute shows that the number of outbound tourists exceeded 87 million in 2023, and it is predicted that the number of outbound tourists in 2024 will be 130 million. Airbnb's Airbnb China also found that during the 2024 Spring Festival, Airbnb's Chinese outbound travel pre orders increased by more than 7 times year-on-year, providing a boost to the overall recovery and growth of the Asia Pacific and even global markets.
The warm breeze of outbound travel continues into spring. On March 20th, Airbnb Airbnb held a spring outbound travel trend press conference in Beijing. At the press conference, Kong Zhiqiu, the head of Airbnb China's business, said, "From the 'longest Spring Festival holiday' to the 'spring vacation and roaming', the Chinese outbound tourism market has continued to stabilize and recover, showing an accelerating trend of recovery. This spring, the top ten destinations for outbound tourism are Japan, New Zealand, the United States, Italy, France, South Korea, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Spain. The popularity of Asia Pacific destinations is not decreasing, and long-distance flight destinations are continuously heating up. In 2024, Airbnb will continue to provide trustworthy, more spacious, and cost-effective travel options, helping Chinese users easily find their 'homes' on the journey and enjoy high-quality and reassuring travel experiences."
At the meeting, He Changhua, the growth manager of Airbnb China, and Zhang Chao, the marketing manager, respectively shared comprehensive insights on innovative measures for brand integration marketing and the travel needs of Generation Z, the future growth engine.
Asia Pacific chart topping, long-term destinations heating up, diverse destinations stimulating spring outbound travel inspiration
The upcoming first spring holiday, Qingming Festival, can be enjoyed for up to eight days through the "holiday competition strategy". According to data from Airbnb China, the search popularity for outbound travel during this year's Qingming Festival has exceeded 2.5 times that of the same period in 2023, with the search popularity for destinations in the Asia Pacific region increasing by 3.5 times year-on-year.
After exploring in 2023, travelers are now more actively moving towards various corners of the world, and destinations continue to show a trend of diversification. Japan, with its romantic cherry blossoms and unique cultural charm in spring, continues to be favored by Chinese travelers. New Zealand has isolated and pure natural scenery, and in Queenstown and T'Xavier on the South Island, one can experience the same stunning scene as the filming location. In addition, popular spring treasure destinations favored by Chinese travelers include Bali in Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand, where you can fully embrace the Jelly Sea, as well as Bordeaux in France, where you can taste world-class wines.
Shaking people into teams, Generation Z yearns to see the world with people of the same frequency
Following the wave of outbound travel during the Spring Festival, the enthusiasm of Generation Z travelers to embrace the light of spring remains undiminished. This year's Qingming Festival holiday, the growth rate of search volume for Generation Z travelers aged 18 to 24 on the Airbnb platform has exceeded the overall trend. It is evident that more Chinese Generation Z travelers are looking forward to welcoming spring through their travels in the warm sunshine and fulfilling their good times.
According to data from the Airbnb platform, group travel for three or more people increased by more than four times year-on-year during the Qingming Festival holiday in 2024. On the active social media platforms of Generation Z, search terms such as "travel companion" and "finding companion" frequently appear in the circle, which indirectly reflects the desire of Generation Z to travel and see the world with like-minded partners. As an emerging form of travel, group outings can not only meet the social and experiential needs of Generation Z, but also bring more possibilities and surprises to travelers.
Deep experience roaming in spring, enjoying authentic global gameplay
Travelers also yearn to fully experience the local cultural characteristics during this spring's outbound travel journey. The cherry blossoms that bloom every spring attract a large number of tourists, making Japan the top popular search destination for spring this year. According to data from Airbnb China, the search popularity of Generation Z users for spring travel in Japan has exceeded 7 times year-on-year. Tokyo and Osaka, as important domestic and international transportation hubs in Japan, have also become the first stop for Generation Z to skillfully use the "transfer station tourism method" to start deep tourism in Japan. More than half of Airbnb's users searched for Osaka properties while also searching for nearby destinations such as Kyoto. At the same time, the geothermal energy of destinations such as Hakone, Fuji Kawaguchi Lake, and Takamatsu has skyrocketed by more than 20 times year-on-year, opening up more cherry blossom appreciation maps. Recently, Airbnb China has teamed up with ANA All Nippon Airways to launch a spring Japanese treasure destination "Roaming" tour, inviting Chinese travelers to embark on a free "Roaming" spring cherry blossom viewing journey, from the cute world of Fukuoka and the anime town of Tottori to the cultural and artistic holy land of Takamatsu and the culinary treasure of Hakodate.
In April this year, Thailand will hold the longest 21 day "Water Splashing Festival" in history to celebrate their traditional festival being listed as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. For travelers who want to immerse themselves in Thai culture, it is the best time to travel to Thailand. The gameplay of Thailand's three major destinations, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket, is also more diverse. Bangkok is best suited for Citywalk, with Sukhonyi, Siam, and Shilong Streets being the three most popular commercial districts. The properties in Chiang Mai are unique and highly favored by Airbnb users, with the fastest growth rate in search popularity this spring. Travelers can meet up with three to five friends to enjoy a unique Lana style villa or country cottage, share the cost with their companions, and easily travel to the spring scenery together.