Female travelers seen as new driving force in tourism industry

The unstoppable spending power of Chinese women in the tourism industry is evident, as tens of millions of them realize their dreams to travel, with significant growth momentum seen in lower-tier markets.

Regardless of their age, travel is a strong desire for all women, according to the report, which looked at female users who traveled for nonbusiness reasons over the survey period.

Middle-aged women born in the 1970s and 1980s accounted for 62.2 percent of the female travelers and were by far the main force when it comes to consumption, the report showed. Young women born in the 1990s and 2000s accounted for 28.5 percent of tourism spending, indicating their emerging potential as consumers. While the older generation born in the 1950s and 1960s constituted just 9.3 percent of female travelers, the research showed they had a strong preference for premium travel experiences.

"Women wield greater decision-making power in travel product bookings, and they excel at meticulous planning and having a good time for their money," said Sun Jie, CEO of Trip.com Group.

Female users account for over 65 percent of the agency's livestreaming audience and are looking for "cheap and cheerful" deals that can save 780 million yuan ($108 million) in travel expenses annually. Moreover, they are more sensitive to travel trends, according to the report.

Since the start of the year, daily average online visits by female users to view the agency's rankings of tourism service operators as well as new travel hot spots have increased by 42 percent.

Female travelers rely on such information to prepare their travel plans, Sun said, adding that for millions of women travel is a way to overcome fatigue and pursue things they find beautiful. "The powerful and beautiful force of female travel is blossoming," Sun said.