Podcast: Story in the Story (10/1/2019 Tue.)
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From the People's Daily app.

And this is Story in the Story.

In China, consumption has become increasingly important to the economy. In 2018, it contributed 76 percent to gross domestic product growth.

Over 20 percent of residents of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen spent more on travel than any other expenditures, aside from housing.

For Shanghai residents, travel accounted for 26 percent of their annual spending, ranking highest among the four cities.

Today, Chinese tourists are more interested in beauty treatments, maternity wear, baby bottles, and other goods that cost much less than luxury items.

Consumption among Chinese is related to their asset structures and funding sources, which has been influenced in recent years by asset price increases and a widening income gap.

Today’s Story in the Story looks at how the Chinese are spending more money than ever before while traveling at home and abroad.

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A traveler parasails on Hainan Island. (Photo: China Daily)   

Wang Wei scours the internet in search of the best dining and shopping places when developing travel plans.

The 29-year-old office worker from Beijing made a reservation for a Michelin-starred restaurant with an average price of over $140 per person before visiting one country. She spent about $4,000 on luxury bags and shoes in Italy. She plans to visit museums and galleries and watch flamenco performances when she goes to Spain.

"The trips broaden my horizons. I watch movies and read books about destinations before trips. But you can only start to understand local lifestyles and cultures after arrival," Wang said.

Wang is among a growing number of Chinese who are willing to splurge for better travel experiences and place higher premiums on cultural engagement.

Chinese tourists made 150 million outbound trips in 2018, a 14.7 percent year-on-year increase. The number of domestic trips reached 5.5 billion in 2018, a 10.8 percent increase, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported.

Tourism website Mafengwo released a report on Chinese traveler consumption based on user data. It found that Chinese traveled four times on average in 2018, compared with 3.3 trips in 2016.

The report revealed that over 63 percent spent more than 10,000 yuan on travel in 2018. Chinese had higher requirements for accommodation. More than a quarter chose upscale hotels, and 12 percent preferred luxury hotels.

Many tourists planned budgets before traveling, especially people from Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Shanghai. Over 90 percent said they spent beyond their budgets, mostly because of shopping.

"Chinese have gradually found a balance between careful budgeting and quality travel. In the mobile-internet era, they know how to spend their money in the smartest ways," said Feng Rao, head of Mafengwo's travel research center.

"Overspending shows their demand for travel experiences is increasing. And they're willing to pay," Rao added.

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Visitors ride camels during a desert tour in Zhongwei in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. (Photo: China Daily)   

Many young travelers search online for dining options, the report said.

About 45 percent spend an average $15 to $30 per person per meal, while almost 20 percent spend $30 to $40. 

In the first half of 2019, the number of travel notes on Mafengwo that mentioned "Michelin "increased by 64 percent over the same period of 2018.

Zhang Chuchen prefers starred hotels with good locations and swimming pools, and unique listings on the home-sharing platform, Airbnb.

The 26-year-old office worker from Beijing also stays in hostels to make friends with other young independent travelers from around the world. She buys cosmetics, skin-care products, local snacks, and souvenirs from local museums.

"It's exciting to enjoy a slow pace of life on holiday," she said.

Travelers who were born in the 1970s on average took their first overseas trips at age 30 when they were established in their careers, the report found. Those born after 1995 typically took their first foreign trips at age 18.

China's more than 400 million millennials are significant drivers of tourism trends, Feng said.

Mafengwo reported that bookings for performances, exhibitions, and culture-related day tours increased in the first half of 2019. 

One popular choice is the musical, “Phantom of the Opera,” in London as many overseas venues promote themselves to Chinese.

"It's not just about sightseeing. It's more about immersing into local culture and history," Feng said.

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Lance Crayon, Brian Lowe and Da Hang. Music by: bensound.com. Text from China Daily.)