Meet the different types of Chinese free independent travellers
Chinese people are traveling more than ever before. An astonishing 130.5 million Chinese made an outbound trip last year. That is nearly two times the population of France. A great portion of these travelers is the category known as Chinese free independent travelers, the FITs. The FITs usually plan their own itineraries, explore deeper and get more intimately involved with the local cultures. However, this does not mean that they are one single homogeneous group. Inside the FITs, there are many different personas, with different ideas of what a holiday trip represents to them.
Here are four of the most common FIT personas among the Chinese travelers:
The Adventurer
A growing part of the Chinese youth considers themselves as an adventurer. The search for thrilling experiences and adrenaline boosting activities are the main purpose of going on a trip for this young group of people. The search of the extraordinary is also trending with the adventurous. You will hardly see this persona lining up for the Eiffel Tower or for a gelato in Rome. Where you will find them though, is behind the wheels of a supercar trying to beat his own personal record at the famous Nürburgring race course, in Germany. Typical for this group is to take a lot of pictures and videos with the purpose to increase their prestige by sharing it with their family and friends, and of course, posting it on the social media.
Favorite Shake to Win Spot: Fly over Holland, Amsterdam. This tour company is for those that are passionate to be in the air enjoying every minute of the stunning view. They organize sightseeing flying tours over Amsterdam and surroundings. It is truly an extraordinary experience.
The Connoisseur
Out of all personas, the Chinese connoisseur is perhaps the most different from the adventurer. A connoisseur is someone who considers him or herself an expert in particular or multiple fields. The main purpose of this group to travel abroad is to enrich their already existing knowledge in their field of passion. Admiring art from the classical age to the modern era, savoring a 100-year-old French wine, having a better understanding of how Julius Caesar conquered whole France in one daring battle, and so on. These are examples of activities that this persona usually looks for, and obviously, Europe is the perfect place to find them.
Favorite Shake to Win Spot: Bruges Beer Museum, Brugge. A true beer connoisseur must take enough time to get lost in the incredible variety of Belgian beers. That is why one of the favorite spots for this persona is the Bruges Beer Museum. The museum, besides showing each step of the brewing process, also has a beer tasting moment as part of the experience.
The Dreamer
Everyone has at least once heard the motto ‘live your dream’, and that is exactly what the Chinese dreamers are doing. Something out of the usual and out of their comfort zone, which has been for a long time on their mind. To see this dram fulfill is the main reason for the dreamer to travel abroad. It is usually a trip to remember for a lifetime! These can be more accessible, yet romantic, activities, like going up the Eiffel Tower to see the sight of Paris or going to visit a medieval castle in the north of England.
Favorite Shake to Win Sport: The Bamburgh Castle, Bamburgh. Built in the 10th century, this castle has a Victorian style interior and a large and beautiful courtyard. The dreamers like this spot because it was used as the mythical castle-home of Sir Lancelot, in the world famous legend of King Arthur.
The seeker of relaxation
As I have mentioned in my previous article, China is a country of megacities. The pace of life is usually fast and many places can be overcrowded and noisy. The purpose of this person to travel abroad is then very straightforward: they need to relax. The Tuscan region in Italy or the south of France, for example, can offer an ideal gateway for relaxing times. These are places where art, food, and nature are best represented, all aways close to the major European cities.
