The rise in Romantic Tourism means opportunity for wine businesses
With over 6 million Chinese FITs traveling to Europe alone, there has been a significant increase among the younger generation of Chinese travelers having weddings and wedding photos in Europe. Although traditional Chinese weddings have been a crucial part for many newly-wed Chinese, many Chinese couples are being influenced by glamorous wedding photos at scenic locations in Europe through different media channels. Not only are these couples willing to travel abroad to get married, but they are willing to spend more to do so for their honeymoons. Of these couples, the most preferred romantic beverage while traveling was red wine.
Significance of marriage in Chinese culture
Marriage in China is considered very important culturally and is also a way to show wealth and social status. It is a significant duty that every Chinese must accomplish in life for the parents, so much so that there are marriage markets in parks, in which the parents would search out the best suitable match for their off-springs that have not yet married. According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, as an after-effect of the mid-1980s baby boom, 2016 saw 12 million Chinese couples that got married and this figure increased by 5% in 2017.
Although traditional Chinese weddings are preferred for many parents, the younger millennial couples wish for a more exquisite and unique wedding experience. Couples go abroad to get married more than before and the numbers are only increasing. It is estimated that the average cost for weddings at major cities in China is 12,000 euros,however weddings in Europe can cost more than 50,000 euros with possible extra costs from locations, photos, food, grooming services, and renting of unconventional wedding spaces. Also, an important thing to note is that Chinese newly-weds can receive an additional 3 to 30 days legal marriage leave based on their living location in China, with Shanghai and Beijing giving 10 extra days leave. This would mean that, after the weddings, Chinese couples would have more time to spend honeymooning in Europe.
What are the most popular European destinations?
Chinese couples can spend months or years to prepare a wedding abroad. As is with every wedding, everything must be perfect and nothing should interfere their dream marriage. Today, there are more than 50 million Chinese citizens who can afford high-cost weddings and honeymoon. 50,000 euros spent for a dream ceremony of their lifetime is not only a gold mine for tourism but also for local employment rates and business growth.
With celebrities getting married abroad and Chinese TV shows showcasing the most dreamy spots, many Chinese couples dream of marriage in Europe. For example, thanks to the Chinese TV show Dreams Link (一帘幽梦), the region of Pays de la Loire in France became well known for hosting many weddings or Chinese couples who wished to renew their vows. Currently France, Italy, Spain, UK, and Greece remain among the most favored European spots for Chinese couples and as time goes on, romantic Chinese travelers are seeking out more unique and exotic locations.
Wine and romance tourism
Every romantic dinner is coupled with a good vintage wine and wine has been known to many as a tool for well-being. Recently, health awareness and the preference of the younger generation to consume wine over rice wine is driving up wine consumption. Although the wine consumption is focused on younger drinkers, the market will grow as the millennial population ages. According to researchers Liao Xufa and Lincoln Kong, it is predicted that total consumption volume of grape-based wine in China will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 6% over the next decade. They expect China’s alcohol industry to be worth around 1,300 billion yuan by 2025, making it a 5% compound annual growth from 2016.
Imported wine holds a larger market share in China as domestic wines have not established themselves to the quality and esteem of European vineyards. It is expected imported wine will drive the wine industry revenue growth in China, with an expected 145% revenue growth from 2016 to 2025. With these statistics in mind, many couples as well as Chinese FITs are flocking to Europe to experience high-end wines in wine tours and vineyard visits. Of these Chinese tourists, couples and honeymooners were the majority. For these travelers, the main factor to decide a vineyard or tour for tasting wine mainly depended on its country of origin, with France being the most popular.
Exposure will help attract Chinese couples to your region
Being a very digitally-connected society, many Chinese people will use apps and other