The results of a just-released survey indicate that the Chinese don’t plan to travel as much in the next year. The latest semi-annual travel survey (of 3,572 Chinese residents) by UBS said this: “The average number of trips (excluding to Hong Kong and Macau) planned for the next 12 months is 2.1 per survey respondent, down from 2.6 in our April survey,” according to analysts Eric Lin and Tiffany Chen. The investment bank seemed confident about the findings, adding, “the key [future] trends have generally been in line with our survey results.”
The survey projections come in the wake of a shakeout among the top travel agencies in China. Some analysts believe that online giant Ctrip brand has lost some of its power with the acquisition of 25 percent of the company by Baidu. Also, suggested an item in Barron’s Asia, “Ctrip has lost mind share” in both hotel and air ticket bookings, because of strong brand-building and promotions among its competitors. All major Chinese travel agencies conduct most of their transactions online.
Top Travel Agency Websites in China
| Website & Rank | Name in Chinese |
|---|---|
| Ctrip | 携程 |
| Elong | 艺龙 |
| Qunar | 去哪 |
| Lvmama.com | 驴妈妈） |
| Mafengwo.com | 马蜂窝 |
| Baidutravel | 百度旅游 |
| Lvping | 驴评网 |
| Daodao | 到到网 |
| Yododo | 游多多 |
| Source: ChinaTravelDiscovery.com | |
