ASIA PACIFIC. Japan and the UAE are the fastest-growing destinations for Chinese outbound travel, according to new figures from analyst ForwardKeys.
Flight bookings from China to Japan over the next three months are up +88.8% compared to the equivalent time last year. Bookings to the UAE are ahead +48.6%, ForwardKeys said, while Indonesia and Hong Kong are also favourite destinations.
Chinese international departures during the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival (which is centred around 18 June) are ahead +21.3% compared to last year. Japan and the UAE are again the destinations with the largest booking increases. For return-home flights (11-24 June), Hong Kong, Osaka, Phuket and both Tokyo airports all show growth.
Chinese travellers are also returning to South Korea, with bookings for the next three months ahead by +90.1%. Restrictions on organised groups are still in place so the bounce back is the result of independent travel.
Travellers from Vietnam and the Philippines are also heading to South Korea in significantly greater numbers, ForwardKeys said.
Among the major Asian airports, Singapore Changi is showing the largest growth in international travellers, currently ahead +16.8% on departures for the next three months. Changi is experiencing a particularly strong growth in usage from Australians and Indians as both transit passengers and visitors to Singapore.
ForwardKeys predicts future travel patterns by analysing 17 million booking transactions a day. The analyst revealed its latest findings at the Duty Free and Travel Retail Asia Pacific Summit in Singapore, organised by the Tax Free World Association (TFWA).
