<h2 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 6px; border: 0px; font-size: 24px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 47, 109);">Chinese tourism takes to the water</h2><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: normal;">China is witnessing an unprecedented tourism boom. Around 98m Chinese outbound border crossings were made in 2013, and the breaching of the 100m benchmark occurred for the first time in a 12-month period, from April 2013 to March 2014, according to the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute. By common consent, however, China’s expansive tourism growth has hitherto focused more on land-based attractions than those of the water.</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: normal;">International tourism marketers have tended to focus their promotions in China around activities – such as brand shopping, city sightseeing, luxury spa visits and ‘selfie’ photography – commonly associated with Chinese tourists. In addition, the spectacular growth of gaming tourism in Macau has prompted city planners worldwide to advance the integrated resort concept, combining luxury suites, fine dining, branded retail, casinos, museums, theatres and family-based entertainment venues. Indeed, casino resort mogul James Packer has been among the loudest voices among tourism planners in Asia Pacific arguing that more ‘man-made attractions’ are needed to appeal to today’s affluent Chinese holidaymaker.</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: normal;">In the early stages of mass outbound Chinese travel, the ‘race to the city’ was a predominant theme. Beaches were shunned due to a disliking for both being outside in hot weather and tanned skin. Seafood platters eaten in waterfront restaurants were often the closest connection made with the ocean. As as one interviewee for my new book, The New Chinese Traveler, commented: “Like many Chinese, I’m a city person but I like to enjoy natural scenery. I don’t want to swim in the ocean, but I love looking at it from the Versace Hotel on the Gold Coast.”</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: normal;">But water is proving to be a new frontier as Chinese vacationers diversify their interests and activities. From surfing classes in Hawaii to white-water rafting in Taiwan and from bespoke fishing trips in Tasmania to ice-breaker cruise expeditions to Antarctica, Chinese tourists are developing a new relationship with the ocean. This should be good news for international cruise operators planning to move larger ships – perhaps customized with casinos, luxury boutiques, and Chinese restaurants – into Northeast Asian waters.</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: normal;">Take Hainan Island as an example. Located off China’s southern coast and promoted as ‘China’s Hawaii’, its deluxe beach resorts by the world’s top hotel brands offer a variety of sea-based activities, including paragliding, jet-skiing, diving, kayaking and banana-boat rides. Even five years ago, it was rare to witness Chinese tourists using these facilities but now operators are placing extra orders for hardware to meet demand.</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: normal;">Offshore, the Xisha Islands are being developed to accommodate Chinese cruise passengers setting sail from Hainan.</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: normal;">Meanwhile, Cessna has started selling seaplanes with amphibious floats to companies providing high-priced tourism flights over Hainan and nearby islands.</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: normal;">Sailing has been heavily promoted in China, especially since the 2008 Olympic regatta was hosted in the prosperous coastal city of Qingdao. Smart new beachfront and lakeside resorts in China now frequently feature a yacht marina, and yacht ownership in China was boosted in 2012, when Shandong Heavy Industry Group purchased a controlling interest in Italy’s Feretti. A year later, UK-based Sunseeker was acquired by Dalian Wanda Group – one of China’s most aggressive investors in tourism, both at home and, increasingly, overseas.</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: normal;">In March, the four-day SO! Dalian luxury travel show – promoted as China’s ‘flagship yachting event’ (‘SO’ stands for ‘superyacht owner’) – in Dalian, Wanda’s home city, attracted all the world’s top yachtmakers. Chinese yachtbuilders, too, are ramping up production in the largest port centres.</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: normal;">The successful development of Hainan Island has encouraged Chinese travellers to discover a previously untapped form of tourism: luxury beach vacations. In turn, this has sparked greater interest in the sea-based activities associated with a tropical island. Having tested the waters, affluent travellers are now setting their sights further afield. Island destinations like Bali, Mauritius, Seychelles, Hawaii and Maldives are welcoming record volumes of Chinese tourists, while newly on-radar destinations like Guam, Saipan, Bahamas, Bermuda and Reunion Island are raising their profiles in China.</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: normal;">While the future structure of Chinese overseas tourism is still developing, the closer correlation between land and sea is a trend to watch.</p><p><br></p>