| Azlan Othman |
FOR many globetrotters, palm-fringed golden beaches, pristine rainforests and the famed Kampong Ayer are Brunei’s top attractions.
But, according to Hotels.com Chinese International Travel Monitor survey published this week, it is Brunei’s culture that has captivated Chinese travellers the most.
Chinese tourists have ranked Brunei as the fifth most popular destination globally for exploring local culture, behind Japan and Australia, India and Cambodia, the survey said.
The survey was conducted by market research firm Ipsos in May 2016, among 3,000 Chinese travellers. To complement this data with opinions of hoteliers, Hotels.com carried out a global survey of 5,800 accommodation partners.
Hotels.com predicts millennial (people born in the 90s), as the fastest growing segment, with the group spending over a quarter (27 per cent) of their income on international travel, based on data.
“The personas should encourage the market to think about Chinese travellers in a new light. Perceptions of Chinese travellers as bus tour groups wanting only Chinese breakfasts and Mandarin translations are outdated.
“Our research shows that Chinese travellers are more diverse and sophisticated than ever before,” Hotels.com Vice President and Managing Director Asia Pacific, Abhiram Chowdhry said.
The most popular cities for Chinese travellers include New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, according to Hotels.com’s China website.
As for famous landmarks, the Grand Canyon is No 1 among Chinese travellers. However, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and Japan’s Mount Fuji are also among the most coveted attractions.
In terms of spending, Chinese travellers visiting Honolulu, New York, Boston, San Francisco, Miami and Seattle paid the most in 2015, the study found. Internationally, Chinese visitors spent the most in London, Dubai and Milan.
According to the recent figures from the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism of Brunei Darussalam, Chinese formed the second largest number of tourists coming to the Sultanate after Malaysians in the first quarter of this year. The number of Chinese tourist arrivals showed a slight growth at 17.7 per cent compared to 16.5 per cent in Q1, 2015.
China and Malaysia also remained as the main contributors for the leisure and holiday market at 55.7 per cent for Q1, 2016 with each representing 37.5 per cent and 18.2 per cent respectively.
Over the past years, tourist arrivals from China has also seen a growth with year 2015 recording over three per cent rise compared to the previous year’s 16.9 per cent, making the number of Chinese travellers only second to those from Malaysia.
Of the total Chinese travellers, 36 per cent were in the country for leisure and holiday while Malaysian arrivals for the same purpose was lower at 19.3 per cent.
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