Arrival 360: Europe must prepare for the return of Chinese tourists

27-02-24

Destination experience providers have an unmissable event in Berlin these days. Arival 360 has held a new edition of its event to analyze everything surrounding the Tours, Activities, Attractions and Experiences sector.

In one of the most eagerly awaited debates, several experts sat down to discuss the prospects for Asia and Europe in the travel sector. There is no doubt that most destinations in Asia have made a full recovery, which helps that Europe is experiencing a strong recovery 2.5 times higher than the data recorded before the pandemic, according to a report by Klook. "The travel recovery is being reflected in increased bookings and a focus on growth," says Wilfred Fan, Klook's Chief Commercial Officer.

Also, with the lifting of the zero covirus policy, Europe can expect to see a rebound in travel, driven by Chinese travelers, in the latter half of 2023. "Currently, destinations in Asia are the top destinations of choice for Chinese travelers (Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore), but Europe will be the next big target with the upcoming summer season," they conclude.

In addition, the experts gathered at Arival 360 also highlighted that travelers are looking for more personalized, high-quality experiences in 2023, with a growing demand for responsible travel that allows interaction with the destination's local community.

"Travelers want to explore destinations in depth. In fact, we have seen strong demand for our mobility services, which include the entire rail and car rental network," Fan adds.

In this regard, TUI is focusing on offering new experiences in cities around the world, and is rolling out the TUI Tours platform to enable scalable customization of multi-day trips.

TUI CEO Peter Ulwahn also highlighted the use of artificial intelligence for experience recommendations and automated transfer route planning, and said that integration with large companies and access to their data could have great potential for the travel industry.

Overall, Europe is expected to experience a rebound in travel, driven by Chinese travelers, in the latter half of 2023, representing a significant opportunity for the continent's travel industry.