Airbnb: Summer outbound travel trends

Against the backdrop of China's outbound tourism industry continuously and steadily sending out positive signals, Chinese travelers are also playing an important catalytic role in the gradual recovery of the tourism industry in Asia Pacific and even the wider region. According to Airbnb's historical data, in 2019, about 60% of the outbound travel nights booked by Chinese users occurred in the Asia Pacific region, while about 16% of the inbound travel nights booked in the Asia Pacific region came from Chinese users. Thanks to the restart of cross-border travel worldwide and the huge potential of outbound tourists from China, the tourism industry in the Asia Pacific region is expected to achieve further rapid growth this summer.

After the May Day holiday, when travel enthusiasm was high, the travel demand of Airbnb's Chinese users is expected to continue to be released this summer, achieving diversified upgrades from short-term to long-term travel. According to the latest "Summer Outbound Travel Trend Report" released by Airbnb, the search popularity of outbound travel by Chinese users in early summer (July 1 to July 15) has soared nearly six times, with a stronger growth momentum than in spring. As of now, Airbnb's Chinese users are expected to stay in Airbnb's homestays in nearly 10,000 towns in 194 countries and regions around the world this summer, and reconnect with the world more deeply.

Travel destinations are becoming more diverse, with more people favoring niche destinations

With the continuous and stable recovery of outbound tourism, the travel style of Chinese travelers has also undergone profound changes. Outbound travel destinations have become more diverse, from near to far, from popular to relatively niche. While Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Indonesia continue to dominate the list, travelers' interest in medium and long-distance destinations is increasing significantly. The top ten hot search destinations this summer are Thailand, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia, Italy, Malaysia, and South Korea. Among them, Thailand continues to top the list of hot search destinations. The rankings of Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, and France have also jumped into the forefront of popular destinations.

At the same time, relatively dispersed and niche destinations far from crowds have begun to enter the vision of Chinese travelers. Taking Southeast Asia as an example, Malaysia and the Philippines are becoming more popular, with searches increasing more than 10 times year-on-year. Chinese travelers are pursuing a deeper and more personalized outbound travel experience. Airbnb will also actively promote the decentralization and sustainability of tourism and travel methods with its unique global network advantages and more than 6.6 million active listings, enabling travelers to explore more lesser-known destinations.

First-tier and new first-tier travelers have become the main force, and the age group of outbound tourists has expanded in both directions

According to data from Airbnb, the most active outbound travelers are mainly from first-tier and new first-tier cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Zhengzhou, and about half of Chinese travelers will depart from Shanghai this summer. They prefer to enjoy a leisure vacation experience in city sightseeing. International metropolises led by London, Paris, and Bangkok have become the three most popular destinations for travelers from the "Magic City" and "Imperial City" due to their fashionable and modern atmosphere and cultural atmosphere.

After the successful trial of outbound tourists in the early days, the inconvenience and psychological concerns of Chinese travelers about travel have been further reduced, the number of outbound tourists has continued to expand, and the age group is also extending in both directions. As the season that best meets the needs of family travel, the proportion of families with three or more children this summer has increased nearly four times compared with spring. Summer vacation and relaxation have become the first choice for many families with children this summer. Thailand, Japan, Australia and New Zealand stand out for their beautiful natural scenery and friendly travel time difference. Judging from the hot search listings, families with children are eager to get away from popular tourist areas and return to the embrace of nature. Among them, the featured categories of listings that are popular with family travel include: "Charming Pool", "Near the Beach", "Seaside Residence", "National Park", and "Lakeside".

As the main force of outbound travel, young Generation Z and millennials are more eager to have an immersive travel experience in the local area. With the arrival of graduation season and study abroad season, the search popularity of European countries continues to rise this summer. France ranks first among the most searched destinations for Generation Z users. Other popular European destinations include Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Iceland, and Norway.

Lifestyle travelers lead long-distance travel, roaming in multiple cities to enjoy a long vacation

Judging from the length of time for booking a property, Chinese users are traveling longer. Nearly half of summer property searches are for stays of 7 days or more, nearly doubling the growth compared to this spring. Compared to chasing after popular destinations, today's travelers are more eager to experience the customs and practices of multiple cities in one trip. Among Airbnb's Chinese users searching for summer outbound travel, the average person plans to visit 1.1 countries and stay in 1.3 cities. Airbnb data shows that "Airbnb Rooms", which was just launched globally in May this year, has become the most popular type of property for the younger generation of Chinese travelers. Nearly 50% of users who searched for "Airbnb Rooms" this summer were aged 18-29. "Airbnb Rooms" not only became the only choice to satisfy the younger generation of travelers' desire to explore with its high cost-effectiveness and uniqueness, but also allowed travelers from different backgrounds to establish a deeper emotional connection with the landlord and obtain a more authentic local experience.