Korean Media: Chinese Tourists Open Their Wallets at Airports, Leading Asia in Per-Capita Spending!

On March 25, South Korea's daily newspaper *The Korea Economic Daily* published an article stating that Chinese travelers' spending at airport retail stores—including duty-free shops—exceeds that of tourists from other Asian countries. Analysts believe that Chinese tourists are driving the recovery of the aviation retail sector across Asia.

The latest research by the Airports Council International (ACI) for the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions shows that post-pandemic, Chinese travelers have played a key role in revitalizing airport retail across Asia, with luxury spending twice the regional average.

This study is based on feedback from retailers and travelers at 36 major airports across 21 countries in Asia and the Middle East. ACI’s Regional Director for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, Stefano Baronzzi, said: “Post-pandemic, Chinese travelers have the highest per-capita spending among all nationalities.” He explained that the pace of consumption recovery has outpaced the growth rate of traveler numbers.

This indicates that China’s outbound tourism market is rapidly rebounding. Since the pandemic, demand for outbound travel from China has consistently surged. A report from HSBC forecasts that China’s outbound tourism market will reach approximately $140 billion in 2024, and could grow to $386 billion by 2033.

However, a significant portion of airport spending remains domestic, drawing global attention as the tourism industry eagerly awaits the return of "Chinese tourists." Experts point out that with China expanding its duty-free policies, more Chinese travelers are increasingly choosing to shop at domestic airports.

Baronzzi noted, “While Chinese tourists still spend heavily overseas, a large share of their airport retail spending now goes toward domestic purchases.” In fact, according to ACI’s research, Chinese tourists’ spending at domestic airports has increased by 20% since 2019.

Meanwhile, other countries with notably high airport spending in the study include India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1860621688121420/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.