China Tourism Academy: 2022 National Tourist Satisfaction Survey Report

Figure 2: National tourist satisfaction on-site, online, and complaint index by quarter from 2019 to 2022

Data source: Special survey on tourist satisfaction conducted by China Tourism Academy

The poor experience of " blind box travel " caused by epidemic control is the main factor in the decline in tourist satisfaction . In 2022, the unpredictable travel environment reduced tourists' sense of gain and satisfaction. According to the special survey on tourist behavior of the China Tourism Academy (hereinafter referred to as the "tourist behavior survey"), 41.5% of respondents said that the frequency of travel in 2022 was lower than that in 2021. The proportion of respondents who believed that the travel experience was not as good as last year was 10.3%, significantly higher than 4.7% in 2021. According to the survey results, the main reasons for the decline in tourist satisfaction are the inconvenience of travel caused by excessively high requirements for epidemic prevention and control (71.2%), the interruption of travel due to sporadic epidemics (50.4%), and travel during peak holidays (28.8%).

Figure 3: Reasons why tourists have poor travel experience in 2022

Data source: China Tourism Academy 2022 National Tourist Behavior Special Survey

The satisfaction of both group tourists and individual tourists has declined, and travel services have been dragged down by epidemic prevention and control and lagging development. According to the on-site tourist satisfaction survey data, the satisfaction of group tourists and individual tourists in 2022 was 83.05 and 83.27 respectively, a year-on-year decrease of 3.92% and 2.28% respectively, and the decline in individual tourists' satisfaction was relatively small. Travel agency refund disputes, shopping disputes, tour guide services and other issues have become pain points for tourists. Facts show that traditional travel services that use checking in at tourist landmarks as a selling point and price competition as the main means are no longer sustainable.

Figure 4: Domestic group and individual traveler satisfaction index by quarter from 2013 to 2022

Data source: Special survey on tourist satisfaction conducted by China Tourism Academy

The evaluation of tourism-related services in destination cities has fallen , and shopping and catering have become shortcomings in the experience . According to the survey data of tourist behavior, affected by the epidemic prevention and control requirements of work units, children's schooling, etc., domestic tourists travel within the province accounted for about 77.9%, of which the city and surrounding travel accounted for 46.3%. Tourists have put forward higher requirements for the city's public services, business environment and life services. The data show that in 2022, the tourist satisfaction index of tourism-related services such as transportation, catering, accommodation, shopping, and entertainment has declined. Problems such as traffic congestion and parking difficulties, low cost-effectiveness of accommodation, insufficient entertainment innovation, and unreasonable prices have restricted the improvement of tourism service quality.

Figure 5: Tourist satisfaction index by industry in 2021-2022

Data source: Special survey on tourist satisfaction conducted by China Tourism Academy

2. Beware of the risk that the technical decline in tourist satisfaction in 2022 will turn into a cyclical decline in 2023

In 2022 , the national tourist satisfaction rate fell for the first time since 2016 , with a quarterly and holiday decline, which was generally a technical decline under the influence of the epidemic . The epidemic control, especially the actual layered increase in various places, has widened the gap between tourists' travel expectations and actual perceptions, resulting in a technical interruption in the continuous growth trend of tourist satisfaction . In the first three quarters of 2022, the tourist satisfaction rate was 81.52, 81.02, and 79.35, respectively, falling from "satisfied" to "basically satisfied". With the introduction of policies such as the "New Ten Articles" and "Class B and Class B Management", residents' travel experience has improved significantly, and the tourist satisfaction index rebounded to 80.18 in the fourth quarter of 2022. From 2020 to 2022, the national tourist comprehensive satisfaction averaged 81.31, an increase of 1.29% over 2019, maintaining a stable development trend. From the perspective of holiday monitoring, the average satisfaction rate of major holidays from 2020 to 2022 reached a satisfactory level, and the bottom support of domestic tourist satisfaction remained stable .

Figure 6: National Tourist Satisfaction Comprehensive Index 2013-2022

Data source: Special survey on tourist satisfaction conducted by China Tourism Academy

Figure 7: Comprehensive index of national tourist satisfaction during major holidays from 2020 to 2022

Data source: China Tourism Academy special survey on holiday culture and tourism market

Tourist cities have taken multiple measures to improve service quality , which is expected to support the decline in tourist satisfaction . In 2022, the average tourist satisfaction of the 60 sample cities included in the monitoring was 80.58, a year-on-year decrease of 1.5%, and 66.7% of the cities were in the satisfactory range. In 2022, the top ten cities in terms of tourist satisfaction in the country were Hangzhou, Qingdao, Chongqing, Xiamen, Jinan, Wuhan, Wuxi, Xi'an, Beijing, and Suzhou. As an important tourist destination, cities strive to weaken the impact of factors such as the epidemic on tourist satisfaction through continuous improvement of transportation infrastructure, commercial reception system, public service system and other fields, and support the long-term sustainable improvement of tourism service quality.

Be alert to the risk of cyclical decline in tourist satisfaction . After the implementation of the "Class B and Class B" policy, domestic residents' willingness to travel increased and travel demand was rapidly released. Local governments have a strong desire to "compete for economy" and "get ahead". They always consciously or unconsciously want to return to the traditional development model of "enjoying dividends from crowds of people and collecting entrance fees for mountains and waters". At present, individual tourists, self-service, individuality and quality have become the mainstream tourism methods and consumption demands. The market expects new scenes, new formats and new products. If cities and enterprises cannot adapt to these changes, the potential risk of declining tourist satisfaction is likely to become a reality. According to the special survey data of the cultural and tourism market during the Spring Festival holiday of the China Tourism Academy in 2023, 21.2% of the surveyed companies believe that the tourism reception volume has fully recovered but the reception capacity cannot keep up, and the delayed recovery of the supply side directly affects the tourist experience; 29.4% of the surveyed tourists believe that the services in the scenic spots or venues cannot keep up; 11.8% of the tourists feel that the cost of travel has risen sharply, and the unreasonable price increases and temporary cancellations of orders in some areas have caused negative public opinion. Research shows that the level of modern governance in the tourism industry, such as price system supervision, passenger flow monitoring and guidance, and tourism safety management, still needs to be improved.

3. Make good use of the results of the national tourist satisfaction survey to promote high-quality development of urban tourism

Make good use of the results of tourist satisfaction and strengthen professional guidance on the construction of tourist destinations in key cities and the high-quality development of the tourism industry from the perspective of tourists. Increase the market supervision and safety inspection of travel agencies, tourist attractions and resorts, star-rated hotels and tourist homestays. Strengthen theoretical research, policy innovation and administrative guidance on the needs of individual tourists and self-service tourism, and guide local governments and industries to meet new needs, create new scenarios and develop new products.

Contributor | Zhang Jiayi

Editor | Zhang Danyang

Proofreading | Yang Liqiong

Source | China Tourism Academy (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism)