According to the Chinese International Travel Monitor Survey 2015 (CITM) by Hoteles.com, 80% of Chinese tourists book their hotel on the Internet, compared to 53% in the 2014 survey.
The survey also reveals that free Wi-Fi has become a determining factor in their decision-making.
According to the latest survey of the habits of Chinese tourists, based on the opinion of 3,000 Chinese visitors and more than 1,500 hoteliers worldwide, 80% of the respondents have used some Internet platform, including phones, desktop computers and laptops to book and plan their trips.
Additionally the jump in mobile phone use has been even more profound. Half of Chinese tourists used their smartphone apps to plan and make bookings, compared with 17% in the previous year.
Approximately 13% made their bookings through a travel agent, through a phone call or a face-to-face visit to an agency, compared with 30% in 2014.
News sites are still lagging slightly behind the ‘word of mouth’ and travel guides in the category of the most popular sources for Chinese tourists. In fact, recommendations by friends and colleagues (selected by 45% of respondents), and those provided by family members (chosen by 38%), is more or less the same as the importance given to news sites, which are relied on by 42% of the respondents.
The availability of Wi-Fi connection remains essential for most Chinese tourists. In the survey, this service was ranked as the one most demanded by guests from China, the same as last year. 75% of all hoteliers agree with this statement.
83% of hotels surveyed said they offer free Wi-Fi, a figure that jumps to 97% in countries of the Asia-Pacific region.
92% of tourists used Internet services to keep in touch with family and friends, with 74% claiming to have used free Wi-Fi services. 33% use the data on their mobile phone while 31% activate data roaming service.