China’s position as the world’s leading source of tourists is changing its seafood dining scene back home as Chinese travelers take their newfound food preferences back home.
The new Ji Yu Thai hot pot restaurant, in Guiyang, China, is a case in point. Opened next door to a Starbucks coffee shop in the Hua Guo Yuan (Flower Orchard) mall, the restaurant offers the curries familiar to visitors in Bangkok. Locally sourced shrimp, tilapia, and catfish, along with surimi and fish balls, are among the items on the menu for the hot pots served by Ji Yu, according to staff. The restaurant also sells shrimp imported from India and Thailand.
The new Ji Yu outlet is the second in Guiyang, with the other restaurant trading in the city’s Fountain shopping district. The Ji Yu brand was launched in 2017 by Chengdu Ai Du Investment Management Consulting Co. (based in the southwestern city of Chengdu) and the chain now has over a dozen outlets across China, as well as one in the Thai resort town of Phuket, which is a favorite destination for Chinese tourists.
Tourists from China made a total of 140 million outbound trips in 2018, up 13.5 percent from the previous year's 129 million, according to the China Tourism Academy (CTA). Spending by China’s tourists in 2018 overseas has been estimated at USD 120 billion to 160 billion (EUR 107 billion to 143 billion).
The bulk of China’s outbound visitors head to regional destinations, with Thailand in their top three destinations in 2018. The CTA said Thailand has high appeal for first-time international travelers in particular.
While the Ji Yu brand is locally-owned, the Singaporean-owned Jumbo seafood restaurant chain has opened outlets across China over the past decade after Chinese tourists began booking up tables in its home market.
