Thailand is the second most welcoming country from the perspective of Chinese travellers, trailing only Japan, according to a recent study by Hotels.com.
After Japan, young Chinese travellers felt most welcome in Thailand because of the widespread acceptance of Chinese mobile wallets (64%), sufficient translations/signage (41%) and ease of information (40%).
Chinese millennials born after 1990 are pushing the boundaries of international travel, increasing their travel expenditure in the past year by 80%. With a 12% increase from 2017, Chinese travellers are important to Thailand's tourism industry.
However, it is crucial to understand changes in needs and preferences of this new generation of Chinese travellers, Hotels.com said.
Chinese millennials prefer to travel to Thailand, with its famous local craft and products that Chinese travellers can buy (56%) as well as a number of unique and remarkable places to visit, such the Royal Palace, which is the No.1 landmark for Chinese visitors to Thailand.
Tour groups have grown outdated as Chinese begin to enjoy independent travel in Thailand, where they are more likely to travel on a free-and-easy basis, thanks to Thais' local delicacies, ease of visa application, quality of accommodation, and shopping paradise that greatly attracted Chinese travellers to travel to Thailand.
On the one hand, the Chinese millennials prefer authentic experiences: tasting exotic local delicacies (69%) and scouring the streets for authentic local items (43%) over shopping for luxury items (38%).
Activities such as fabric crafting, natural indigo dying or weaving traditions and silverware in several parts of Thailand can tap into this trend.
On the other hand, this is a tech-savvy generation as the research finds digital information and financial technology, as well as social media updates are a priority for them.
Advancing QR code use via WeChat, improvement of accommodation facilities, local transport arrangements, high-speed WiFi and customer services, and reservation methods for local experiences and activities are key considerations that Chinese expect when they are travelling to other countries.
Travel bragging moments and selfies were a huge part of the Chinese millennial travel experience in 2017, with 65% using the reverse camera angle to boost likes and build their social brand.
More than half (56%) of travellers said they used selfies to express feelings. Social media (52%) and video sharing (51%) are also important to all age groups when deciding where to travel.
"In the survey, 52% of Chinese travellers overall were wooed by the power of the news feed, and a third of the older generation reported that their travel decisions and behaviour were influenced by their digitally-connected children," said Nelson Allen, general manager for Asia-Pacific of Hotels.com.
Accommodation providers can be excited about the new wave of edgy and energetic Chinese travellers and tap into this lucrative market by catering to their ever-curious travel desires.
"We know from the report that Chinese travellers feel comfortable and most welcome in destinations when shop assistants speak Mandarin, Chinese mobile wallet is accepted, and there is signage they can understand," said Johan Svanstrom, president of Hotels.com.