When super rich Chinese travel, they not only do so in style. They prefer to go to unique locations that offer them rich and exotic experiences not met by just going to usual locations.
For this reason, breaks are the perfect excuses to go to these destinations identified by a Hurun/International Luxury Travel Market Asia report that was released in May. The report named the Antarctic as the Arctic and Antarctica as the most popular destinations for high net-worth Chinese in 2014. The trips are led by scientists and the very rich travelers are accompanied also by professional photographers who does the clicking for them, while they just enjoy the views.
Also popular are cruises on the Amazon River and expeditions to a Kenyan national park, disclosed Steve Spivak, vice president of digital sales of Tauck, a tour organizer based in the U.S. He added the other popular destinations of luxury travelers are France, the Maldives, Dubai and Australia, reported China Daily.
The rise in luxury travel among the very rich Chinese, the Hurun Report said, was because of the increase in number of Chinese who turned billionaire in 2015. As a result, last year, their number hit 596, which means there are more billionaires now in China than in the U.S.
Hurun Chairman Ruper Hoogewerf noted that it happened while the Asian giant was going through an economic slowdown. Within the same 12 months, China’s wealthiest people created more wealth in one year than any country did before.
As their numbers grew, Beijing Utour International Travel Service established Magic Travel to cater to the needs of people seeking luxury travel. However, Li Mengran, publicity manager of Utour, pointed out that “Today, there’s more to luxury travel than just being ostentatious.”
Spivak added that market is more used to good service and well-planned itineraries, that all they have to do is just enjoy their sojourn.
Meanwhile, ordinary Chinese continued to pour out into the roads as they take part in the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush to reach home and spend Lunar New Year with their loved ones. Across China, 2.9 billion trips are expected to be made during the most important holiday in China, facilitated by online booking, reported Xinhuanet.