Switzerland attracts Chinese tourists to Europe
St.Gallen – The University of St.Gallen analysed the travel patterns of Chinese tourists. Europe is an important destination – and Switzerland is one of the most popular countries.
Switzerland is the second most popular country in Europe for Chinese tourists, according to the University of St.Gallen (HSG). France is the most popular destination, followed by Switzerland, Germany and the UK. Sweden and Italy come in fifth and sixth place respectively.
Europe boasts a total market share of 16 per cent of the 51 million international trips made by Chinese tourists analysed by the Research Center for Tourism and Transport at the HSG in collaboration with Survey Yes. Cultural, historic and natural abundance is as important for the Chinese as hospitality, which is one of the reasons why the extensive range offered by tour operators makes Europe such a popular destination for Chinese tourists.
But Europe as a destination is facing fierce competition, with North America and Oceania more popular destinations for Chinese tourists. One reason for this could be the problematic Schengen visa process, said study lead Christian Laesser from the HSG.
On the other hand, Europe leads the way in terms of tourist spending with an average of 330 Swiss francs per day (excluding shopping). The analysis concludes that Switzerland and Europe as a whole continue to have in principle “good tourist prospects on the Chinese market”.