Chinese luxury travellers want to do it digitally

Source: Marriott International. Peggy Fang Roe, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Asia Pacific, Marriott International (left) and Rupert Hoogewerf, Chairman and Chief Researcher, Hurun Report (right).

Marriott International and the Hurun Research Institute have shared the first Chinese Luxury Traveler 2016 study, marking the first-of-its-kind collaboration between an international hotel company and an authority on Chinese luxury travel.

The report reaffirms that when it comes to services and information, China’s young luxury travellers - defined as those aged 18 to 36 - prefer to do it digitally. Interactive guest services on smart devices are far more popular than traditional guest services, and travellers also expect this smart technology to record and manage their personal preferences.

China’s young luxury travellers also conduct their research on digital platforms. WeChat emerged as their primary source of travel information, obtained from official WeChat accounts and the accounts of friends and professional travel advisors. Third-party apps are also important information channels.

Choice of accommodation

Although 41% of general travellers say that room cleanliness is their top concern when choosing a hotel, 42% of young luxury travellers with a household net worth over RMB100 million cite personalised service as their most important consideration. They seek a tailored guest experience, including a selection of pillows, and personalised service through a butler or interactive digital channels. They favour hotels that provide high-tech digital equipment, like Wi-Fi (73%) and smart TVs (55%), which offer a more enjoyable stay as well as bespoke, convenient service.

“This is a key focus area for Marriott,” said Peggy Fang Roe, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Asia Pacific at Marriott International, which in the first quarter of 2016 saw a 7% increase in domestic travelers in China and a 25% increase in Chinese outbound travelers.

Fang Roe continued, “We are responding to the desire for personalised luxury and services by evolving our loyalty programme Marriott Rewards, which goes far beyond hotel-level perks."

Rupert Hoogewerf, Hurun Report Chairman and Chief Researcher, said, “Despite the economy slowing, the impact on outbound travel from high net worth individuals seems to have steadily grown. The young luxury travellers have developed significant spending firepower, minted on the back of the recent boom in Chinese entrepreneurship, together with a growing class of second generation ‘rich kids’.”

Information channels

Young luxury travellers receive information primarily through official WeChat subscription accounts (48%), WeChat Moments shares from friends (47%), and websites (42%). Male travellers tend to obtain information from websites while female travellers prefer WeChat shares and friends’ recommendations. Third-party apps are also important information channels, with C-Trip, Qunar, and Tuniu being the most popular platforms.

Interested?

Read the report in English or in Chinese

Compare against 2015 Chinese luxury travel trends