SHANGHAI, 31 October 2018: The majority of affluent Chinese travellers count on their children to choose their next holiday according to research released today at the opening of ILTM travel trade show, here in Shanghai.
It showed that 95% of wealthy Chinese millennials choose their next holiday based on their child’s preference.
The latest report from the Luxury Conversation, the intelligence platform focusing on luxury in China and Asia, outlines new trends and preferences of Chinese millennials now traveling with young children.
Titled ‘Next-Gen Luxury Travellers: Affluent Chinese Families’ the data was drawn from over 400 affluent families across China.*
The report takes a deep dive into the lifestyles of luxury Chinese millennials and specifically how they travel as families.
Born after 1980, Chinese millennials are affluent, luxury-loving consumers who not only love to travel, but are also parents with young children. The decades-long one-child policy and unique socio-cultural factors have concentrated the focus of parents and grandparents into raising the ‘little emperor’ of the family.
Luxury Conversation co-founder, Chloé Reuter said: “The “luxury” Little Emperor is a fascinating phenomenon. They now play the key role in steering travel destinations: both in terms of experiences, destinations and hotel choices.
“As just one example, we were amazed to discover that organic menu options for children in hotels were a key decision-defining factor.”
ILTM China event manager, Andy Ventris added: “This report uncovers real drivers for affluent Chinese travellers’ decisions, and will no doubt support all of our partners who are targeting this lucrative and complex marketplace.”
The report revealed that China is absolutely pioneering digital developments. Cash is as good as obsolete in the country and brands of all types are already using VR, AR, AI and next-gen technology, from payment by facial recognition and more.
Entire provinces are already connecting personal ID with WeChat, with people’s driving licences and such being held digitally. Use of personal devices is mobile, and WeChat is the internet. A brand’s WeChat mini-programme is its website, CRM, booking system and loyalty programme app.
Preferences from respondents make it clear that a destination, or resort, even outside of China, needs to have strong digital and WeChat integration. Among the preference for all things WeChat-related more than 60% of respondents even considered mobile-controlled lighting and in-room features as ‘very important’.
When hospitality brands talk about connectivity, they need to realise that Chinese guests already experience an absolute seamless connectivity in their daily lives and expect the same digital thread to be evident as they visit high-end overseas properties.
Key findings
Holidays are driven by child-satisfaction: ‘Child-friendly activities’ was the top choice of respondents in impacting their travel choice.
Sustainability and wellness are in demand: Over 75% of respondents see the hotel’s commitment to sustainability as ‘very important’.
Adventure and extreme experiences are trending: 93% of consumers surveyed are ‘very interested’ to take their child on an Arctic of safari adventure.
They are hyper-connected: 94% see mobile check-in and 95% see a WeChat-integrated customer service function as ‘very important’.
The full report is available for purchase on The Luxury Conversation, the business intelligence and thought-leadership platform, owned by Reuter Communications. Visit www.luxuryconversation.com
*Report research conducted by Reuter Intelligence
