CHINESE TOURISTS SURVEY

Transcription

1 CHINESE TOURISTS SURVEY May 2013 Ministry of Tourism and Leisure

2 CONTENTS Page MAIN RESULTS A Tourist Profile 2 B Rating of services, perception of stay in Mauritius & problems encountered 4 METHODOLOGY 1 Objective 5 2 Data Collection 5 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by age and sex 7 Table 2 Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by group size 7 Table 3 Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by occupational group and sex 8 Table 4 Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by province 9 Table 5 Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by purpose of visit 9 Table 6 Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by travel arrangement 10 Table 7 Percentage distribution of the Chinese tourists interviewed by influencing factors and sex 10 Table 8 Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by activity participated and sex 11 Table 9 Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by type of accomodation 11 Table 10 Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by rating of price of items 12 Table 11 Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by rating of services 12 Table 12 Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by rating of security level 13 Table 13 Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by effectiveness of services 13 Table 14 Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by evaluation of visit and sex 14 Table 15 Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists who are likely to visit Mauritius within the next two years. 14 Table 16 Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed who encoutered a problem by sex 14 Table 17 Number of problems encountered by Chinese tourists by nature of problem and sex 15 Table 18 Recommendations of Chinese tourists to improve the Mauritian destination Table 19 Places of interest visited by Chinese tourists interviewed by sex ANNEX Questionnaire 24

3 2 MAIN FINDINGS A. TOURIST PROFILE i. 57 % of tourists interviewed were males and 43 % were females. ii. iii. The mean age of a male tourist was 31 years and that for a female was 29 years. (It is to be noted that the same statistics were computed from the Passport Immigration Office (PIO) file on 1198 Chinese tourists (640 females and 558 males) who arrived and departed in April 2013 via the two direct flights from Shanghai. The average age obtained was: Male: 34 years; Female: 33 years) The average length of stay was 5.1 nights. It is to be noted that the average length of stay was not captured by the survey. This information was computed from the PIO data file on 1198 Chinese tourists who arrived and departed in April 2013 via the two direct flights from Shanghai. iv. The average group size was 2.7. v. 94 % of the tourists interviewed travelled on package tour. vi. vii. viii. ix % tourists interviewed were from Shanghai Municipality and 14.6 % were from Beijing Municipality % of the respondents were employed, 0.3 % were retired persons, 0.7 % were students and another 0.3 % were housewives. Among the Chinese tourists who were in employment, 54.5 % were professionals or managers, 24.7% were technicians while the remaining (20.9%) were employed at clerical level or below % of the Chinese tourists were on holiday in Mauritius, 40.4% of them were on honeymoon and the remaining 2% were on business. %Distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by purpose of visit Honeymoon 40% Business 2% Holidays 58%

4 x. Most of the Chinese tourists interviewed stayed in hotels (98.3%). 3 xi. xii. xiii. xiv. Chinese tourists on holiday or honeymoon were requested to report on the factors which influenced them to choose Mauritius for their trip % were influenced by the Internet, 28.4% by friends/words of mouth, 13.9 % by publicity in newspapers, magazines and 11.8 % by Travel agencies/tour operators. Chinese tourists on holidays or honeymoon were also asked about the factors that motivated them most to come to Mauritius. The 5 most important motivation factors together with their score on a scale from 0 (not important at all) to 1 (maximum importance) are as follows: 1. Beaches (0.70) 2. Tropical image (0.45) 3. High standard of hotel (0.24) 4. History and culture (0.16) 5. Our people (0.11) The top 10 most popular activities in which Chinese tourists participated during their stay in Mauritius were: 1. Beaches (reported by 99 % of tourists) 2. Sightseeing (reported by 93 % of tourists) 3. Shopping (reported by 89 % of tourists) 4. Museum (reported by 76% of tourists) 5. Nautical sport (reported by 61% of tourists) 6. Other sports (reported by 10.6 % of tourists) 7. Casino (reported by 6% of tourists) 8. Cultural events (reported by 7.6 % of tourists) 9. Visiting friends (reported by 3.6 % of tourists) 10. Business (reported by 1.7 % of tourists) The top five most popular places of interests visited by Chinese tourists interviewed were: 1. Ile aux cerfs (visited by 50% of tourists) 2. Chamarel -7 coloured earth (visited by 42% of tourists) 3. Casela Bird park (visited by 38% of tourists) 4. Tamarin Bay Dolphins (visited by 29 % of tourists ) 5. Port Louis centre/town (visited by 25% of total tourists) Other major sites were Blue bay beach (24 %), Grand bay (22 %), Pamplemousses botanical garden (19 %), Chamarel falls (13 %) and Cap Malheureux Church (12%).

5 B. RATING OF SERVICES, PERCEPTION OF STAY IN MAURITIUS & PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED i. Around 80 % of Chinese tourists interviewed rated the price of airfare and accommodation as Reasonable and 40 % found the price of taxi as expensive (see table 10 for more information) ii. 80 % rated the security level in hotels as very good (table 12) 4 iii. iv. 24 % of Chinese tourists interviewed encountered one or more problems. These were related to: 1. Communication and language (reported by 43% of tourists encountering problems) 2. Food (19%) 3. Shopping (10%) 4. Road (7%) The recommendations (ranked in order of importance - most important first) made by Chinese tourists to improve the Mauritian destination relate to: 1. language there should be Chinese-speaking people in airport/hotels/shops/tourist sites 2. Airport services 3. Food/restaurants 4. Information services 5. Transport services 6. Shopping 7. Hotel services v. 34 % of tourists interviewed rated their stay in Mauritius as beyond expectation, 65% as as expected and 0.3 % as below expectation. vi. vii. 84 % of the tourists interviewed are likely to visit Mauritius within the next two years. All of the Chinese tourists interviewed (100%) will recommend Mauritius as a holiday destination to their friends and relatives.

6 5 METHODOLOGY 1. Objective The objective of the survey was to gather information on Chinese tourists visiting Mauritius. The survey focused on the following: Chinese tourist profile Chinese tourist perception Problems encountered during visit Suggestions/recommendation for improvement 2. Data Collection Survey period The survey was carried out on Thursdays and Sundays in the period 14 March-14 April 2013; i.e. for 10 days. Target population Chinese tourists departing via the two directs flights to Shanghai were targeted. Questionnaire The questionnaire comprises 24 questions pertaining to the profile, perceptions problems encountered during their stay in Mauritius and suggestions for improving Mauritius tourism products (see Annex). Data collection method Face to face interview technique was used. Field staff A team of four interviewers and one supervisor worked for the survey. Sampling method Interviews were conducted on a first available basis, that is Chinese tourists were approached as they entered the departure lounge after check-in formalities. Sample size 516 Chinese tourists were approached for the survey. Response rate Around 60 % of the departing Chinese tourists who were approached for interview responded positively. It is thought that the non- respondents were mainly those who could not communicate in English.

7 TABLES

8 7 Table 1. Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by age and sex Age Male Female Both sexes Number % Number % Number % 15 < < < < < & over Total Table 2. Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by group size Group size Number % Total

9 8 Table 3. Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by occupational group and sex Occupational group Male Female Both sexes Number % Number % Number % Professionals Technicians and Associate Professionals Legislators and Senior Officials and Managers Clerks Service Workers & Shop Sales Workers Elementary occupations Craft and related trade workers Plant and machine operators Retired Skilled agricultural and fishery workers Housewife Unemployed Student Not Stated Total

10 9 Table 4. Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by province Province Number % Beijing Municipality Fujian ` Guangdong Hainan Hebei Heilongjiang Hubei Inner Mongolia Jiangsu Jilin Shaanxi Shandong Shanghai Municipality Shanxi Sichuan Tianjin Municipality Yunnan Zhejiang Total Table 5. Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by purpose of visit Purpose of visit Number % Business Holidays Honeymoon Total

11 10 Table 6. Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by travel arrangement Travel arrangement Number % Package Non Package Total Table 7. Percentage distribution of the Chinese tourists interviewed by influencing factors and sex Influencing factor Male Female Both sexes Number % Number % Number % Friends / words of mouth Incentive trips organised by your employer Internet Publicity in newspapers / magazines / films Travel Agencies / Tour operators Other Total

12 11 Table 8. Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by activity participated and sex Activity Male Female Both sexes Number % Number % Number % Business Sight seeing Beaches Museum Casino Cultural event Shopping Visiting friends Nautical sports Other sports Table 9. Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by type of accomodation Type of accomodation Number % Guest house Hotel In own villas/houses/bungalows/irs With friends/relatives Total

13 12 Table 10. Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by rating of price of items Item /service Expensive Low Reasonable Don t know Total Airfare Accomodation Food Water and soft drink Alcoholic drink Taxi Table 11. Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by rating of services Services Excellent Good Poor Satisfactory Very poor Don't know Total Flight services Airport services Transfer services Accomodation Sightseeing and excursion Taxi Gastronomy Shopping experience

14 13 Table 12. Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by rating of security level Services Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor Very Poor Don't know Total In hotel Non hotel accomodation Taxi On the beach On public places On tourist sites In Mauritius Table 13. Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by effectiveness of services offered in Chinese language Services Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor Very Poor Don't know Total Airport Hotel Restauration services Tour operators

15 14 Table 14. Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed by evaluation of visit and sex Evaluation of visit Male Female Both sexes As expected Below expectation Beyond expectation Total Table 15. Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists who are likely to visit Mauritius within the next two years. Likely to visit Mauritius within the next 2 years Male Female Both Sexes No Yes Total Table 16. Percentage distribution of Chinese tourists interviewed who encoutered a problem by sex Problem Male Female Both sexes Number % Number % Number % No Yes Total

16 Table 17. Number of problems encountered by Chinese tourists by nature of problem and sex (based on 72 tourists who encountered problems) 15 Nature of Problems Male Female Both Sexes Airport Communication/Language problem 1 Poor airport services Staff at Air Mauritius counter rude Communication/language problem Tour Operator Poor tour operator services Food Lack of chinese food Poor quality of food Problem to order food as menu card either in french or english Hotel Poor hotel services Slow Wifi in hotel Road Difficulty faced due to lack of proper and adequate road signs Had a car accident during stay Problem due to traffic jam Shopping Cheated by icecream seller Credit card was misused in a shop Harassment by hawkers Poor hotel services Quality of products at souvenir shop in Flacq is not good. No value for money Was charged Rs199 for one ice cream which was not of good quality Armani shop in Port Louis did not give voucher for refund Attitude of sellers in Port Louis market is not good Transport Could not find bus going to Port Louis from Hotel Poor taxi services Taxi charged more than initially agreed Very few taxis in Mauritius Information services Could not find information on car renting Other Could not find public toilets Everywhere close after 4 pm Loss of personal belongings Total

17 16 Table 18. Recommendations of Chinese tourists to improve the Mauritian destination Airport Recommendation Male Female Both sexes Children corner in airport Free water at airport Improve airport services More restaurants/shops in airport Reduce price of products in airport Smoking area in airport Staff of air mauritius to be more polite Security sensor at airport not good for pregnant woman. If there could be other way of searching pregnant woman 9 Improve TV programmes at airport Communication/Language Chinese speaking people in airport/hotel/shops/tourist sites More wifi access in public places Environment Clean beaches more frequently More bins on beaches Too many flies in Mauritius More effort to protect fragile environment at Ile aux Cerfs Improve cleaning campaign Keep Port Louis cleaner Entertainment Chinese TV programmes on TV Improve sightseeing services More nightclubs and bars Hotel Chinese TV programmes/channels in hotels Employ chinese chef in hotel Free wifi in hotel Improve hotel security Improve hotel services More chinese service at hotel and tourist places Reduce price of hotel Reduce price of water sports in hotels Hotels far from City 0 1 1

18 17 Table 18 (Cont'd). Recommendations of Chinese tourists to improve the Mauritian destination Food/restaurant Recommendation Male Female Both sexes Better quality of chinese food Improve food on Air Mauritius flights Improve quality of chinese food Improve quality of food Include picture of food on menu card More chinese food should be available More seafood should be available Reduce price of drinks Reduce price of food/water Menu at hotel should be in Chinese language More chinese language restaurants More local food Need for more restaurants near La Pirogue More seafood in hotel More good reataurants near beaches Information services Brochures with urgent phone numbers could be distributed to tourists on arrival Chinese information on places to visit Chinese publicities Distribute maps/guides in chinese language on arrival Hotline service for tourists More publicity on Mauritius in China To create a Mauritian website where Chinese people can make direct booking Sign boards in chinese language Improve publicity of Mauritius on the net Information (map, guides, brochures) to be made available in chinese l Shopping Chinese currency should be accepted in shops More choices for shopping More late night shopping More shops/restaurants in airport More sugarcane products should be available More variety of local products 1 0 1

19 18 Table 18 (Cont'd). Recommendations of Chinese tourists to improve the Mauritian destination Recommendation Male Female Both sexes 7 Need for more shopping malls Prices charged to tourists generally too high Prices should be shown on all items Reduce prices of products Tourists to be charged same price as Mauritians Bigger supermarkets Items sold at Ile aux Cerfs very expensive and not value for money More shops to accept union pay credit card Reduce price of duty free products More international brands in shops More shops to accept union pay credit card Tourists to be charged same price as Mauritians More supermarket around hotels Transport Bus service from hotel to places of interest Drive more carefully Improve bus transport service Improve public transport Improve taxi services Introduce taxi meter To lower cost of taxi fares To provide bus service from hotel to places of interests as taxi is expens Improve bus transport system Improve car rental service Improve public bus transport system Improve public transport system Lower price of air ticket Road Improve road conditions Improve road signs More street lighting More traffic signals Reduce traffic jam 6 3 9

20 19 Table 18 (Cont'd). Recommendations of Chinese tourists to improve the Mauritian destination Other Recommendation Male Female Both sexes A discount on prices for those coming to Mauritius for the second time Improve money changing service Mauritians should be more friendly with chinese people More direct flights to China More publicity on chinese destination On public holidays everywhere should not be closed Reduce price of watersports Better hospitality towards chinese tourists Put public clocks around the island Total

21 20 Table 19. Places of interest visited by Chinese tourists interviewed by sex Place of interest Male Female Both sexes Ile aux Cerfs Chamarel - 7 coloured earths Casela Bird Park Port Louis Centre/Town Port Louis Market Blue Bay Beach Grand Bay Pamplemousses Bot. Garden Tamarin Bay - Dolphins Tamarin Bay (Dolphins) Chamarel Falls Cap Malheureux Church National Park of B.River Gorges Grand Bay - Super U Belle Mare Beach Gris Gris Trou aux Cerfs Caudan Waterfront Vanilla Crocodile Park La Croisette Bagatelle Grand Bassin Blue Bay Marine Park Blue Penny Museum Flic en Flac L'Aventure du Sucre Le Morne Brabant Postal Museum Chamarel Rhum Distillery 3 3 Coin de Mire Comajora Ship Model Museum(F.Side) Curepipe Botanical Garden Flacq Market Ile aux Benitiers 3 3 Mahebourg Waterfront Natural History Museum Pointe aux Piments Beach 2 1 3

22 21 Table 19 (Cont'd). Places of interest visited by Chinese tourists interviewed by sex Place of interest Male Female Both sexes South Coast 3 3 Albion Beach Alexandra Falls 2 2 Bois Cheri Tea Factory 2 2 Cap Malheureux Beach Citadel 2 2 Coconut Island 2 2 Diamond Factory(ATVA Gems) 2 2 East Coast Flacq Village Ile aux Gabrielle 2 2 Le Saint Aubin(Colonial House) 2 2 Pointe aux Piments Village 2 2 Port Louis Museum 2 2 Rochester Falls Albion lighthouse 1 1 Aquarium de Maurice 1 1 Baie du Cap Beach 1 1 Bois Cheri Tea Museum 1 1 Cascades G.R.S.E 1 1 Cascavelle Shopping Mall 1 1 Centre de Flacq 1 1 Champ de Mars 1 1 Eastern Coast 1 1 Ebene 1 1 Flacq 1 1 Fuel Sugar Estate 1 1 Government House 1 1 Ile aux Aigrettes 1 1 Ile Plate 1 1 Le Val Nature Park 1 1 Martello Tower 1 1 Naval Museum 1 1 North Coast 1 1 Pagoda at Port Louis 1 1 Pereybere Beach 1 1 Pointe aux Cannoniers 1 1

23 22 Table 19 (Cont'd). Places of interest visited by Chinese tourists interviewed by sex Place of interest Male Female Both sexes Pointe aux Cannoniers Beach 1 1 Pont Naturel 1 1 Quatre Bornes Market 1 1 Signal Mountain 1 1 South Circuit 1 1 Tamarind Falls / 7 cascades 1 1 Trou aux Biches Beach 1 1 Vanila Crocodile Park 1 1 West coast 1 1 Total ,261

24 ANNEX QUESTIONNAIRE

25 CONFIDENTIAL Serial No. Republic of Mauritius MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND LEISURE SURVEY ON CHINESE TOURISTS Interviewer:-... Day & date of interview :... By which flight are you departing?... 1 Age - Group 15 - < < < < < & over Gender: M... 1 F Country of residence :... Nationality:.. 4 From which province are you from?... 5 Occupation :... 6 Are you travelling alone? Yes 1 No 2 (i) State group size Group size.. 7 What was the main purpose of your visit to Mauritius? Holidays 1 Honeymoon 2 Business 3 Medical 4 Studies 5 Transit 6 Cultural event 7 Religion/pilgrimage 8 VFR 9 Sports 10 Shopping 11 Group & incentives 12 Visiting friends/ parents Other (Specify) Wedding (get married) FOR PURPOSE OF VISIT 1 & 2 ONLY AT QUESTION 7 ( ELSE SKIP TO Q. 8 ) 8 How did you first come to know about Mauritius? Publicity in newspapers / magazines / films 1 Friends / words of mouth 2 Incentive trips organised by your employer 3 Travel Agencies / Tour operators 4 Internet 5 Other, specify What motivated you most to choose Mauritius? ( Please rank in order of importance, MAXIMUM 3 ) A. Tropical image H. Accessibility B. History & Culture I. Our people C. Price of the destination J. Beaches D. High standard of hotel K. Shopping E. Suitable accommodation in non-hotel L. Spa F. Safe destination M. Ecotourism G. Sports (Specify ) N. Other / Autre (Specify ) In which activities have you participated during your visit here?(multiple answers possible) Business 1 Sight seeing 2 Beaches 3 Visiting National parks 4 Visiting museum 5 Casino 6 Cultural event 7 Shopping 8 VFR 9 Nautical sports 10 Other sports 11 Other (Specify) Where did you stay in Mauritius? Hotel 1 With friends, relatives 4 Guest House Tourist residence/ 13 State the name and place where you stayed? 2 In own villas/houses/bungalows/irs 5 Other 3 6 Name /... Location Are you on a package tour? Yes... 1 No... 2 (i.e Airfare + Accommodation + other services )

26 15 How did you find the price charged for Expensive Reasonable Low Don't Know Airfare Accommodation Food Water, soft drink Alcoholic drinks Taxi How would you evaluate the following services: / Comment évaluez-vous les services suivants: Very Poor Poor Satisfactory Good Excellent Don't Know On board your flight Airport services Transfer services Accommodation Sightseeing & Excursions Taxi Gastronomy Shopping experience How would you evaluate the level of security? In hotel In non-hotel accommodation By taxi On the beaches In Public Places On Tourist sites In Mauritius From a chinese language perspective how would rate the readiness of the following to welcome Chinese tourists? Very Poor Poor Satisfactory Good Excellent Don't Know Airport services Hotel services Restauration services Tour Operators Has Mauritius lived up to your expectations? / Est-ce que L'ile Maurice a été à la hauteur de vos attentes? Below expectation As expected Beyond expectation (a) Are you likely to visit Mauritius within the next two years? Yes... 1 No... 2 (b) Would you recommend Mauritius as a holiday destination to your friends and relatives? Yes... 1 No What are the places of interest which you visited during your stay in Mauritius and which one was most appealing to you? Did you encounter any problem during your stay in Mauritius? Yes No 23 If yes to question 19, state the problems encountered during your stay in Mauritius? a.. b c 24 Have you any specific recommendations to improving the destination? (a) (b)......