TripAdvisor: 2016 Global Popular Tourism Cities Consumption Index

The "2016 Global Popular Tourist Cities Consumption Index Report" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report") released today by TripAdvisor, a global travel planning and booking website, shows that among the world's top 20 popular tourist cities, New York, Tokyo and London rank in the top three in terms of consumption levels for food, accommodation and transportation, and Hong Kong, China ranks seventh in terms of consumption levels for food, accommodation and transportation; while Hanoi, Mumbai and Cape Town are among the top three cities with the lowest consumption.

It is worth mentioning that among the ten cities with the lowest consumption, four are in Southeast Asia, indicating that tourism consumption in Southeast Asia is the most cost-effective.

The report investigated the cost of food, accommodation, travel and sightseeing for two people in 20 popular tourist cities around the world for three days. The statistical consumption items include: three nights of accommodation for two people in a local four-star hotel, three tickets to local attractions, three lunches, three dinners, and the average cost of three round-trip taxi rides of 3 kilometers each way.

Let’s take a look at the survey details first:

10 popular tourist cities with low cost (2 people 3 days)

Top 10 most expensive tourist cities (2 people, 3 days)

The study found that the average local consumption in 20 popular tourist cities was 6,548 yuan, and the consumption amount varied greatly among cities. Among them, Hanoi had the lowest consumption, about 3,301 yuan, while New York had the highest consumption, about 12,135 yuan, nearly twice the average consumption amount.

It can be seen that in the same period, tourism consumption in Hanoi is much lower than that in New York, and the savings are enough to pay for round-trip air tickets. For Chinese outbound tourists, Asian destinations have a natural distance advantage and are the first choice for short-distance outbound travel.

✐ Southeast Asian cities have the best value for money, with Hanoi offering the lowest cost

Looking at local consumption data from each city, four of the 10 cheapest popular tourist cities are located in Southeast Asia, namely Hanoi (first), Kuala Lumpur (fourth), Bangkok (fifth) and Bali (seventh). Interestingly, some of the most expensive cities are also located in Asia, with Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong ranking second, sixth and seventh respectively as the most expensive tourist cities.

✐ Where did the money go? Hotel and food!

According to the average spending data, accommodation costs account for about half of the total spending (52%). The higher the level of tourism consumption in a city, the greater the proportion of accommodation, especially in New York (61%), Paris (61%) and Cancun (71%). The lower the consumption level in a city, the greater the proportion of dining expenses. For example, in Hanoi, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, where the total spending is relatively low, the proportion of accommodation costs is also relatively low, while the cost of dining out is as high as 50%, 50% and 54% respectively.

✐ Hotel reservations are most expensive in New York; meals and taxis are most expensive in Tokyo; Hong Kong attractions are almost free to enter

1. Accommodation: The three cities with the lowest cost for a three-night stay are Hanoi (1,569 yuan), Bangkok (1,697 yuan) and Kuala Lumpur (1,715 yuan); while the cities with the highest cost are New York (7,352 yuan), Cancun (6,564 yuan) and London (5,341 yuan), which is about four times the cost of the cheapest city on average.

2. Food and Beverage: In terms of food and beverage expenses for two people for three days, local restaurants in Cape Town (1,151 yuan), Mumbai (1,253 yuan) and Bali (1,493 yuan) offer the best value for money. The most expensive cities for food and beverage are Tokyo (3,966 yuan), Hong Kong (3,732 yuan) and Singapore (3,557 yuan), with expenses about three times that of the cheapest city.

3. Tickets for attractions: The prices of tickets for attractions vary greatly from city to city. Tickets for attractions in some cities are mostly free or very cheap, such as Hong Kong, Hanoi and Tokyo, accounting for only 1% or less of the total cost; while in some cities, such as Moscow, the tickets for attractions are as high as 14% of the total cost.

4. Transportation: Taxi fares vary widely from city to city. For example, the taxi fares for a 3-kilometer round trip are less than 50 yuan in Hanoi and Bali, the cheapest cities; the taxi fares in Tokyo, Rome and New York are the most expensive, reaching more than 700 yuan, which is about 15 times more than the cheapest cities.