Bali's beaches are the top attraction on the resort island

Indonesia remains an attractive destination for Chinese tourists to visit during the year-end holiday season, according to a survey, despite the series of disasters hitting the archipelago throughout the year. 

As reported by news agency Antara, a survey conducted by Chinese travel portal tuniu.com reveals that the most attractive countries for tourists from mainland China during the current year-end holidays are Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, France, Italy, Switzerland, Indonesia and Germany.

Countries in Europe are the preferred destinations for Christmas, but those who want the warmth of the sun and pristine beaches choose Southeast Asian countries, such as Indonesia and Thailand, especially since these countries allow visa-free entry.

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 Indonesia remains an attractive destination for Chinese tourists, according to the survey, which shows that a series of natural disasters and a fatal airplane accident in 2018 did not deter tourists.

The Tourism Ministry, however, has fallen short of its targeted 2.6 million tourist visits from China during the period of January to October, with only 1.87 million having visited.

According to Tuniu’s survey, conducted among respondents between 19 and 35 years of age, young Chinese travelers mostly opt for holidays in the northern hemisphere, such as Finland, Norway, Iceland or Denmark. Yet some prefer to fly to the southern hemisphere for some warmth, including to Australia, New Zealand or Mauritius.

The survey also shows that 70 percent of the respondents spend only three days on their year-end vacation, typically from Dec. 30 to Jan. 1. About 64 percent of the respondents were women, most of whom said they would go on vacation with their friends or parents.

Ticket sales for the holiday season rose 30 percent in China, according to the survey, with fast trains still the main choice for domestic tourists.

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Vietnam beats France to crack China's top 10 travel destinations

With 200 million Chinese tourists expected to make outbound trips in 2020, Vietnam is set to become even more popular.

Vietnam has become the 10th most popular destination among Chinese tourists, according to new statistics.

Figures from CLSA, a Hong Kong brokerage and investment firm formally known as Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia, showed Vietnam has overtaken France to enter the top 10, which is led by Hong Kong, Thailand and South Korea.

The survey polled more than 400 Chinese travelers across 25 cities with an average age of 35 and a monthly income of 20,000 yuan ($2,900).

Safety remains the prime concern for mainland travelers, followed by cost and sightseeing opportunities.

A series of terror attacks last year in Europe had deterred Chinese travelers, it said, as cited by the South China Morning Post.

 Last May, a MarketWatch report, citing data from American Express, also showed that summer bookings to Europe’s top destinations, notably France and Turkey, had been hurt by the attacks.

China has always been Vietnam's main source of tourists, and their numbers increased by 57 percent on-year in the first six months of 2017, reaching nearly 1.9 million and accounting for 30 percent of all foreign arrivals. Last year, Vietnam welcomed around 2.7 million Chinese tourists, a jump of 51 percent from the year before.

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Vietnamese media said Chinese visitors have been encouraged by a new policy that allows groups of travelers to visit the border province of Quang Ninh, home to the popular Ha Long Bay, for up to three days without a visa.

CLSA reported that 135 million Chinese people traveled abroad last year, and with 200 million Chinese tourists expected to make outbound trips in 2020, Vietnam is set to become even more popular.

A Bloomberg report last December said Chinese tourists could have a big impact on Vietnam’s economy. It said a 30 percent increase in spending by Chinese tourists would boost Vietnam’s economic growth by nearly 1 percentage point. For Thailand, that would be around 1.6 points.

“Chinese tourism is pretty big for ASEAN now, and all the countries rely on Chinese visitors to keep coming and keep spending,” Edward Lee, an economist with Standard Chartered Plc in Singapore, was quoted as saying in the report.

Source - VN Express.net

Singapore offers a perfect place to make a winter escape

Its warm weather, sea breeze and fresh air make Singapore an ideal getaway for mainlanders fleeing the cold

The beauty of Singapore is that one can see all the country has to offer during a visit that is short and sweet. Its warm weather, sea breeze and fresh air easily make Singapore an ideal getaway for mainlanders, especially in winter, when many Chinese cities struggle with the cold or even smog.

On a recent three-day trip to Singapore, we go on a shopping spree and binge on food that is cheap and cheerful. We see glistening skyscrapers sitting next to each other along the riverside, while basking in the shade of lush plants in the botanic garden.

We sip coffee at a local cafe and enjoy the night life in a local bar.

Indeed, all these elements are rolled into this compact yet neat land that accounts for less than 5 percent of China's capital Beijing, the place we come from.

As a food aficionado, my first highlight comes when I enter the Tiong Bahru Market, whose second floor is a food court, which is ringed with assorted independent food stalls.

"There are many places like this, but this one offers authentic local cuisine," says Candy Yat, our tour guide.

"Also, the food here is cheaper than at some of its counterparts," says Yat.

The place is filled with restaurants, which offer dishes like oyster omelet, steamed rice cakes topped with preserved radish, braised noodles, and assorted dim sum stuffed with sticky rice or green beans.

Most of the dishes we order are priced between $1-3.

The Cheng Tng (clear soup) is one thing you must try. Don't be fooled by the somewhat tedious dark brown look of the soupy dessert, as all the treats are at the bottom. The soup is sweet but not cloying.

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