Beijingers opt for leisurely breaks
Beijingers holidaying overseas are opting for more leisurely itineraries and thinking twice before splashing out on souvenirs.
Holidaymakers flying out of the capital for the year's second national week-long holiday have shunned the usual crammed itineraries in as many as 11 European countries.
'We used to have tours consisting of five or even 11 countries ... but now people only want to do one country at a time,' said Sun Changwei , general manager of China Beijing Youth Travel Services' outbound travel service. 'The activities are still the same - shopping and sightseeing at landmark locations like a square or a church. But they want to take their time.'
Mr Sun said Beijingers could still spend big but were being more careful about their purchases. 'They want to go to places that are free of charge. They won't go to museums that have admission fees because they are smarter now,' he said.
'That doesn't mean that they are spending less. They spend on brand-name luxury items, such as cosmetics, clothes, handbags and watches. But they won't be snapping up things like souvenirs, which have lost their novelty.'
One item expected to become more popular with mainland travellers is the top-end watch, following Beijing's decision to slap a 20 per cent tax on luxury imports from last month.
The average cost of a short-haul holiday from Beijing is about 4,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan, while long-haul trips cost about 17,000 yuan to 18,000 yuan.
Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia are the top Asian destinations for Beijingers, while France, Italy and Spain are the favourites in Europe.
