6.) Tourism’s big impact
Chinese tourists continue to be a driver of seafood consumption in Asian destinations like Bangkok and Singapore.
Chinese tourists made 710 million trips abroad, up 10 percent year-on-year, according to the China Tourism Administration, with their top three destinations being Thailand, Singapore, and Japan. And as they’re traveling more, they’re also spending more – Chinese tourists spent USD 90 billion (EUR 75.5 billion) during this year’s October National Day festival, up 12.2 percent from the previous year’s figure, according to the China Tourism Administration.
Posts on Chinese social media suggest considerable spend on seafood, with photos and reviews of Bangkok seafood restaurants serving up American crab, French oysters, and Malaysian grouper. Restaurateurs in Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Singapore are already gearing their marketing campaigns and budget around traditional Chinese festivals.
It can’t be long till Western catering companies do likewise. Speaking of which, Chinese tourists also love the United States, having spent USD 35 billion (EUR 29.4 billion) while visiting the US in 2016, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
