Exploring the travel patterns, preferences and recommendations of Chinese university students living in Australia

Abstract

a b s t r a c tChina is an important and growing market for the Australian tourism industry, yet our understanding of what Chinese independent tourists seek in the way of experiences is limited. Studies in Europe, USA and Australia show that Chinese international students tend to travel extensively while studying overseas, and consequently are able to provide insights into the needs, preferences and perceptions of the emerging Chinese independent market. Using Chinese tertiary students studying in Australia as participants, this research explores their preferences for, and perceptions of, Australian tourism products. Responses from surveys and follow-up focus group interviews reveal that iconic attractions, naturebased activities and photography are particularly attractive to this market. The Internet and word-ofmouth advertising are important sources of information; while costs, distances and lack of time are barriers to travel. Personal safety is also a key concern in natural environments. Students' travel plans for visiting friends and family and their suggestions for tailoring tourism products to meet the needs of independent Chinese visitors are also discussed.

Travel behaviour of Mainland Chinese international students in Norway

“…Such findings are consistent with Chadee and Cutler (1996) and Michael et al (2004). The findings also disagree with the more recent studies of Hughes et al (2015) indicating that holiday packages with travel Anatolia, 28(3), 394-403. doi:10.1080Anatolia, 28(3), 394-403. doi:10. /13032917.2017 13 agents are well sought by MCIS in Australia.…”

“…Numerous respondents believe that using a combination of both recommendations from family and friends as well as the Internet was most reliable. Although Some findings are thus similar to Hughes et al (2015) arguing that MCIS tend to rely on the Internet and word-of mouth advertising whereas Xu et al (2009) suggest that they are less reliant on commercial advertisement and more on recommendations from friends and family. None of respondents planned their holiday based on brochures obtained from visitor centres and travel agents.…”

“…Such findings are logical as international students including MCIS do generally have budget constraints and therefore want value for money by choosing the mode of transport with the best value (Huang & Tian, 2013;Hughes et al, 2015). It can thus be determined that reasons for transportation choices are dependent on the price, convenience and facilities of the study country rather than their status as international students.…”

“…Anatolia,28(3), 394-403. doi:10.1080/13032917.2017.1327872 2 findings may also serve as a gateway to further understand the mainstream market of Chinese tourists (Hughes, Wang, & Shu, 2015), which is an increasing market in Norway.…”

An ‘authentic’ Aboriginal product: State marketing and the self‐fashioning of Indigenous experiences to Chinese tourists

“…Issues around visitation are compounded by the finding that Indigenous tourism is not a ‘primary travel motivator’ for international visitors but is rather a ‘minor component of an overall cultural or natural experience and is generally perceived as less attractive than other activities’ (Ryan and Huyton, 2000, 2002; Whitford and Ruhanen, 2010, p. 26). Research has also demonstrated that Chinese tourists are largely uninterested in Indigenous tourism and do not express much intention to participate in such experiences (Whitford et al , 2001; Whitford and Ruhanen, 2010; Ruhanen et al , 2014, 2015; Hughes et al , 2015).…”