CNN Bangkok forum highlights rising demand for long-haul travel
Trip.com chief Jane Sun discusses artificial intelligence, visa access and shifting travel habits at a Bangkok forum on tourism growth.
- According to Trip.com Group's CEO, travel demand is on an upward trend for long-haul destinations, with tourists venturing to a wider range of locations in South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Central Asia.
- Chinese tourists are a significant driver of this trend, spending approximately $250 billion overseas and increasingly choosing distant destinations like Australia and South Africa for cultural experiences.
- The strong appetite for unique, long-distance travel is highlighted by Trip.com selling several tickets for space tourism, priced at around $700,000-$800,000 each.
- Demand is fueled by diverse motivations across age groups, from Gen Z traveling for concerts to retirees taking advantage of off-season opportunities, with safety and visa convenience being key factors in destination choice.
Jane Sun, chief executive officer (CEO) of Trip.com Group, said travel demand remained on an upward trend as tourists travelled further and became more open to a wider range of destinations in South America, Australia, New Zealand and Central Asia.
She was speaking during the “Scaling a Global Vision” session at the CNN Global Perspectives: In Bangkok forum.
Data from the Trip.com platform showed particularly strong growth for Brazil and Argentina as destinations in South America.
Australia and New Zealand were popular during the Golden Week holiday, while Kazakhstan also attracted increasing interest.
Sun also discussed interest in space tourism, saying Trip.com Group had sold several tickets for space travel over a period of a few weeks, at prices of about US$0.7–0.8 million.
Trip.com uses artificial intelligence to personalise trips
Trip.com is investing in artificial intelligence (AI) to improve efficiency and customer service.
The company identifies four main uses: improving user interfaces, assisting with coding, providing multilingual customer support, and creating content such as audio, video and images.
Artificial intelligence also helps Trip.com understand travellers’ behaviour and preferences so it can offer products and services tailored to individuals.
For example, when a customer books a flight from Bangkok to London, the system can suggest luxury hotels, calculate the distance from Heathrow Airport to a hotel, and recommend restaurants or activities near the accommodation.
Trip.com’s aim is to let travellers manage services conveniently through a single platform, from booking flights and hotels to finding activities during their trips.
Travel is a personal experience, and AI cannot handle every situation without human help, particularly during emergencies.
Trip.com therefore continues to value the role of staff in assisting customers during disasters or travel disruption.
Sun cited responses to events such as a tsunami in Japan, an earthquake in Nepal and a crisis in the Middle East.
Trip.com’s teams contact travellers in affected areas to help keep them safe and coordinate arrangements for accommodation, food and travel back to their home countries as needed.
Chinese travellers venture further as safety and visas shape choices
Turning to the Chinese market, Sun cited overseas spending of about US$250 billion by Chinese travellers, compared with about US$170 billion spent by travellers from the United States.
Sun said Chinese tourists were travelling more widely around the world, particularly during major holiday periods including Chinese New Year, Golden Week, Labour Day and the summer holidays.
These breaks give travellers opportunities to spend about one to two weeks abroad.
Popular destinations for Chinese New Year included Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, reflecting Chinese travellers’ interest in long-distance journeys and learning about different cultures.
Safety, ease of applying for visas and direct international flights are key factors in destination choices.
Sun encouraged destinations to consider making visa arrangements more convenient, to ease travel and improve their chances of attracting tourists.
Generation Z travels for concerts as retirees offer off-season opportunities
Sun said Chinese travellers’ behaviour differed by age group.
Her parents’ generation tended to travel in groups for safety, while her own generation focused on taking their families to learn about history and culture first-hand in destinations such as Rome, Florence and Edinburgh.
Younger Chinese travellers, particularly Generation Z (Gen Z), favour trips to attend events such as concerts by global stars and sporting competitions.
Large events have therefore become a significant reason for people to travel between cities or countries.
Retired older travellers are another segment with growth potential, with spending power and more time available for travel.
Their ability to travel outside the peak season can help tourism businesses earn revenue during quieter periods, while travellers can find offers at reasonable prices.
Sun also saw opportunities for emerging-market destinations to attract tourists if they could offer distinctive experiences that differed from those at typical tourist attractions.
