Chinese tourists are travelling more than ever before and spending more than any other nationality while they are abroad. In 2018 Chinese travellers made 149 million overseas trips representing a year-on-year increase of 14.7% according to a report released by the China Tourism Academy.
In terms of overseas expenditure, Chinese tourists spent a remarkable $277.3bn in 2018 according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). This figure is particularly impressive given that in 2000 Chinese tourists only spent about $10 billion. As a point of comparison, the USA ranked second for expenditure with a total of $144.2bn.
The potential for future growth is absolutely staggering when you consider that currently just 9% of Chinese citizens have a passport. The population of 1.42 billion has a growing appetite for travel with overseas trips predicted to hit 400 million by 2030.
These figures are excellent news for wine and spirits brands across the globe, offering unique opportunities to tap into this growing market. Airport duty free, conventional retail, and F&B sales all offer potential to reach this dynamic audience.
Another key opportunity to access this growing market is through cellar door sales in places like Australia’s Hunter Valley and Yarra Valley which are easily accessible from the major cities of Sydney and Melbourne respectively. For example, at Tamburlaine Organic Wines in the Hunter Valley the number of Chinese visitors has increased steadily over the past five years and they are now the biggest group of visitors by nationality.
Tamburlaine Managing Director and Winemaker Mark Davidson explains that for many Chinese visitors, ““when they think of wine they think of Australia”. In addition to purchasing wines during their visit, many visitors also enquire about where they can buy the wines in China. Creating these kinds of connections is an excellent way to build brand loyalty and open up new opportunities in the Chinese domestic market.
The key to appealing to the ever-growing Chinese tourist market is to create a wine or spirits brand that is trusted and sought after by Chinese citizens travelling abroad. Make sure your brands are trusted and enter the China Wine & Spirits Awards (CWSA) and proudly display your CWSA Medals on your bottles globally.
Each year the awards are judged by 100 of China’s most influential buyers. Winning a medal at the CWSA sends a clear signal to Chinese consumers that your wines and spirits have been approved by a panel of influential wine experts. The small sticker that is included as part of the medal winner’s pack can help to prove the quality of your wine to Chinese tourists shopping abroad for new and unknown brands.
