The Chinese International Travel Monitor (CITM) survey by Expedia Group and Ipsos reveals hotel booking habits and preferences for the world’s largest travel population, providing enormous potential for hotels to adapt to the evolving demands of Chinese travelers.

Hotel Preferences

Chinese travelers are broadening their accommodation choices, with an impressive 55% staying at independent hotels with local flavor, versus 49% at international chains.

Another 33% tried boutique hotels, 23% eco-friendly hotels and 21% chose hotels offering cutting-edge technology such as co-working spaces, voice technology, and virtual reality bookings. They also spent USD 30 more per day on accommodations than the previous year, and 78% say they are open to booking homestay accommodations in the future.

Hotel amenities also factor into decision making. Wi-Fi ranks as the most important amenity at 60%, on-site dining at 50%, and room service at 36%. Chinese travelers spend the most on on-site dining (52%), on-site shops (26%) and room service (20%).

Hotels and destinations can also look for ways to provide concierge experiences for travelers with the local culture and culinary scenes. Favorite destination activities among Chinese travelers include: Tasting local foods (69%), site seeing (65%), and shopping for authentic local items (43%).

Travel Timing

36% of Chinese visitors are planning a visit to the U.S. in the next year, with 26% planning a first-time visit. Travel windows align with Chinese holidays and common times to be off from work or school, which include:

Early February: Chinese New Year July and August: School Summer Holiday Mid-September: Mid-Autumn Festival Early October: Golden Week

The biggest purchase day is November 11, Singles Day, China’s equivalent of Black Friday – a day hotels should offer China-specific deals to attract its travelers.

Being Better Hosts

Payment technology dominates traveler preferences, with 59% wanting to see more QR codes for WeChat payment usage and 57% looking for greater acceptance of China mobile payment platforms overall. Regarding other conveniences, 44% would like to see more public Wi-Fi and restrooms.