China's wealthy tourists warming up to polar destinations

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Europe

Thailand? Egypt? France? One might think of these countries when planning to travel, but wealthy Chinese tourists are going far, very far, in search for unique escapades.

Main tourism plans for Chinese high-income travelers in the next three years. /CGTN Photo

Travelling around the world, polar exploration and mild adventures – tourism programs offering travelers the chance to explore outdoor activities and discover nature to the maximum – are set to become the main tourism themes among China's high-end tourists in the next three years, according to the Hurun report, a monthly publication known for its "China Rich List".

Chinese polar travelers, members of the "wealthy class," are likely to spend 250,000 yuan ( around 36,571 dollars) on each trip to the furthest points on earth, said the chief operations officer of HH Travel, one of most popular luxury travel agencies on the Chinese mainland.

Percentage of international tourists to Antarctica in 2016-2017. /CGTN Photo

Last year, China surpassed Australia to become the second largest source of tourists to Antarctica, the icy continent at the southernmost point on Earth, making up 12 percent of the total 46,385 visitors right after US tourists, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO).

And Chinese are not shying away from the northern hemisphere as well.

Chinese tourists form the largest group of those visiting Russia's Arctic region in 2016, government figures have shown, while Finland's Lapland region saw a record 92 percent increase in overnight stay by travelers from China a year before.

Although exotic islands and sandy beaches have long attracted Chinese travelers, interest in polar trips spiked among the rich with a net worth of over 22 million yuan (3.2 million US dollars), said the report by Hurun and the International Luxury Travel Market Asia (ILTM Asia).

A Icebreaker makes its way through pack ice in Antarctica, Southern Ocean. /CGTN Photo

China's richest are not only travelling far, but also spending more.

Sixty percent of high-end travelers spend more than 3,000 yuan (430 US dollars) on accommodation per night, and 69 percent travel 3.3 times on average each year staying every time around 27 days abroad.

Europe's capitals have lost their attraction to visitors from China as those surveyed had visited 10 foreign countries on average and find no need to do it again, said Rupert Hoogewert, founder of the Hurun report.