A new survey has revealed that Maldives is the leading summer destination amongst luxury travelers from China.
Luxury travellers from China are particularly fond of islands, which constitute all seven of their preferred destinations, with the Maldives topping the list, according to a survey conducted by leading media group Hurun Report Inc. The survey report titled, 2017 The Chinese Luxury Traveller, which was presented at the recently concluded International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) Asia in Shanghai, showed Maldives is particularly popular amongst millennial travellers. While 18 percent of the total participants favoured Maldives for their summer or autumn getaway, 30 percent were millennial travellers.
Other destinations that made to the list include Phuket in Thailand, Fiji, Bali in Indonesia, Hawaii, Saipan and Malaysia.
The survey also found that luxury hotels are still the first choice for China's luxury travellers. China's luxury travellers are becoming increasingly demanding and are no longer satisfied by the traditional tour group mode of travel, according to the survey. China has maintained its position as the single biggest source market despite falling numbers over the past year. In 2016, the Maldives welcomed 324,326 visitors from China, which was a 9.8% drop compared to the previous year. China has continued its downward spiral this year as well with a 15.4% drop in arrivals in April.
As arrivals from China drop steadily, the Maldives has recently announced plans to step up marketing in China in order to increase the number of Chinese tourists to one million per year.