China poised to surpass U.S. on business travel spending by 2016
1For years Americans have led the world in business travel spending. That is about to change.
With China’s economy surging, business travel spending from the world’s most populous country is expected to jump 14% in 2013 and 17% next year, according to the Global Business Travel Assn., the trade group for corporate travel managers.
China is expected to surpass the U.S. as the world’s largest business travel market by 2016, the trade group says.
About 95% of that business travel traffic will stay in Asia, with trips to South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong the top destinations. The GBTA estimates that the U.S. will be No. 8 on the list of destinations for Chinese business travelers.
And with the growth in travel from China, Beijing Capital International Airport is expected next year to surpass Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as the world’s busiest airport.
“As China’s economy continues to grow, so does their expected demand for business travel,” said Tad Fordyce, head of global solutions for Visa Inc.
The demand for air travel from China is expected to grow so fast in the next few years that several of China’s airports have had to double or triple their capacity and the nation plans to build about 100 new airports over the next decade, said Joe Bates, vice president of research at GBTA.
“The real question is can they keep up with the demand,” he said.
Spending on hotel spa services rises 5%, study says
If you plan to pamper yourself with a massage the next time you check into a hotel, you are not alone.
Spending on hotel spa services ? such as massages, skin care services and personal training ? jumped 5% in 2012 from the previous year, according to a study by PKF Consulting, a consultant to the hotel industry.
By comparison, the sale of food and drinks grew only 2.3% in the same period, according to PKF’s study of revenue from 125 hotels.
The growth in revenue might be spurred by an improving economy that has boosted travel demand, according to hotel industry experts.
Another possible reason for the rise in spa spending could be the resurgent health trend in the U.S. as Americans try to eat well and stay healthy on the road.
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