Summary of Key Points
Recently, Europe has been experiencing consecutive heatwaves with temperatures reaching 40°C, prompting a large number of European tourists (mainly from countries like France, the UK, Italy, and Russia) to visit China in advance or during the summer to escape the heat. Popular destinations include Guilin, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Shanghai. This surge in "summer retreat tourism" has boosted consumption in various sectors such as accommodation, dining, shopping, and travel services in China, leading to booming business for local businesses. However, there are also challenges related to language communication, tour guide services, and payment systems.
Why Do Europeans Come to China for Summer Retreats?
This summer in Europe has been exceptionally hot, with temperatures of 40°C making it unbearable to stay at home. In contrast, many parts of China have a cooler climate: Yunnan has around 25°C, Guilin is humid and comfortable, and Shanghai is cooler and less dry than the old cities in Europe. What's more, the detailed services provided in China have impressed the European tourists:
- Thoughtful Facilities: Tourist attractions in Guilin offer shade shelters, and rest stations sell chilled beverages; hotels in Yunnan have well-functioning air conditioning and convenient direct drinking water, making them much more pleasant than the stuffy subways and old buildings without air conditioning in Europe.
- Smooth Communication: Online travel booking platforms (such as those for flights and hotels) offer services in languages like French, allowing tourists like Antoine to communicate with staff without any issues.
- Unique Scenery: The landscapes of Guilin, the rice terraces in Yunnan, and the traditional Chinese architecture of Shanghai's Yu Garden are novel and attractive to Europeans. Marco even said he wants to recommend these places to his friends.
Which Chinese Regions Do European Tourists Favorite?
Based on cases and data, European tourists tend to choose two types of destinations:
1. Southern Summer Retreats: Guilin's Yangshuo Longji Rice Terraces (Marco's route) and the regions of Yunnan and Guizhou (Antoine's route), which have lower temperatures and beautiful natural scenery.
2. Metropolises like Shanghai: Places like Yu Garden, the Bund, and Lujiazui are popular attractions. Milla (a French girl) and Victoria (a Belarusian girl) both visited Shanghai to escape the heat and experience fashion and Chinese culture. Data confirms this trend: The number of European visitors entering Shenzhen increased by 31.6% in June, and flight bookings to China from Europe increased by 20% in July, with British routes seeing a year-on-year increase of over 80%.
Which Businesses Have Benefited from Summer Retreat Tourism?
This surge in tourism has led to a surge in business for related industries:
- Dining: The Yu Garden branch of Songyue Tower has seen a 50%-100% increase in customer traffic, with special three-language menus available for vegetarian customers. The steamed buns from Nanxiang Steamed Bun Shop are particularly popular among European families.
- Accommodation: Newly opened homestays in Dali have received 15% of their bookings from international visitors, offering multi-country power adapters and cultural experiences; a hotel in Pingyao even became friends with a French tourist on WeChat.
- Travel Services: Luo Yixuan, a post-00s professional who switched from foreign trade to customizing travel itineraries for international tourists, has seen a surge in business this year due to the European summer retreat trend. Many tourists also request customized Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing) photo shoots.
- Shopping: Victoria bought lots of products at Pop Mart, and Felipe (a Spanish tourist) plans to buy World Cup memorabilia at Adidas stores.
How Significant Are the Numbers?
Data shows a dramatic increase in tourism:
- Ctrip: European inbound bookings have increased by 275% year-on-year (from 100 last year to 375 this year), with ticket orders increasing by over 20 times. Russian bookings accounted for 53.5%, up 553% year-on-year, and Western European (UK, France, Germany) bookings increased by nearly 150%.
- Tongcheng: Flight prices to Chinese cities like Edinburgh and Barcelona have increased by 20% in July, with British routes seeing a year-on-year increase of over 80%.
These figures indicate that European tourists coming to China for summer retreats is not a casual phenomenon but has become an important growth driver for the tourism industry.
Challenges in Accommodating European Tourists
Businesses have also encountered some challenges:
- Tour Guide Services: Many European tourists only know the names of places and lack knowledge about history and culture, requiring businesses to spend more time providing explanations (for example, explaining the story behind the Nine-Bend Bridge at Yu Garden).
- Language and Getting Lost: Language barriers can lead to tourists getting lost, so businesses need to provide advance route guidance and improve their staff's foreign language skills.
- Payment and Facilities: Some areas have inadequate international payment systems that need to be upgraded. Hotels and restaurants also need to improve their foreign-language menus and offer multi-country power adapters.
Overall, this wave of European summer retreat tourism is a positive sign for the recovery of China's inbound tourism industry. However, to continue attracting tourists, businesses need to focus on improving service details.
(The entire text is written in plain language, making it easy for non-financial professionals to understand.)