Now It’s Chinese Parents Who Go To Their Children For CNY

          Now It’s Chinese Parents Who Go To Their Children For CNY - For the Chinese New Year (CNY) celebrations, it’s long been the norm for everyone to rush back home to be with their families. This is especially so for the requisite traditional reunion dinner on the eve.

However, the winds of change are blowing. According to wego.com market development manager (North Asia) James Huang, a new trend is emerging these days – young Chinese working professionals are flying their parents and family to them, or to another destination, to spend time together, depending on where they’re based.

Huang points out that, in China, many adult children have relocated to work in first-tier cities such as Shanghai or Beijing, or have left China completely to establish their careers internationally.

“Traditionally, Chinese families consisted of large families with seven or more children who would live and work close to home,” explains Huang. “But in recent times, the number of children has shrunk to only one or two.

“However, the importance and value of family remains very strong even though modern life now places distance between them.

“Add to that the limited annual leave allowance in China of around seven working days, the amount of achievable family time is less than ever,” Huang says. “Adding annual leave to Chinese New Year equates to one of the longest continuous periods of time available to many, and the number one priority is spending that time with family.”

Wego, which is a travel search site, has seen a growing demand in outbound family travel for Chinese travellers – and only during the CNY period.

“Young professionals living away from home are willing to spend more money to ensure their ageing parents especially, travel in comfort by booking full-service flights for them,” says Huang.

“They prefer family-friendly hotels close to public transport in modern cities such as Tokyo and London. For destinations outside of Asia, they’d select hotels which cater to Chinese tastes, with familiar meals such as congee or hotpot, as elderly family members are less likely to adapt to Western food.”

He notes that airlines have assisted this growing trend with more direct flights connecting second- and third-tier Chinese cities to popular destinations in other parts of Asia. It helps, Huang says, that Asia is convenient in terms of flight duration, plus the competition for market share equates to more affordable airfares.

Among the airlines he cites are Hainan Airlines which has opened up more routes with very affordable promotional prices, and Silk Air which has more direct flights and more connections.

“The interpretation of the Chinese ‘family’ segment needs to be redefined. This evolving family travel trend offers new opportunities for the travel industry to come up with more creative offerings beyond families consisting of younger parents and small children,” Huang suggests.

“Designing thoughtful options to suit travelling with elderly family members, to attract this growing segment, is a winning formula,” says Huang, in conclusion.

“Hotels can incorporate local menus and more comfortable road transfers. And airlines might consider flexible flight packages designed for three, that includes options for Premium Economy seats (for older parents) and Economy for an adult offspring.”

Airlines and hotels, please take note that the rooster is now following its chicks, and not the other way around.