Chinese travellers are known for extravagant travel budgets and a habit for overseas shopping, but this year shows a decrease of 17 per cent in travel spending compared to the previous 12 months. China’s top tier of travel spenders alone, who spend on average three times more than the normal traveller, cut back on spending as much as 68 per cent. However, actual travel shows no sign of slowing down, as Chinese travellers journey near and far. A recent survey from Hotels.com shows Chinese travellers’ wish list of destinations changing since last year. Australia and Japan still reign supreme, but France falls to the bottom of the list, with the United States dropping off completely. Other popular destinations include Hong Kong, South Korea and the Maldives. More specific travel wish lists included visits to the Pyramids of Giza and Mount Fuji. The average hotel room rate travellers are willing to pay decreased this year as travellers’ budgets did the same. Many luxury travellers were forced to lower their expectations and book 3-star hotels over more expensive brands, though 78 per cent admit 3-star properties are as low as they’ll go. The destinations where Chinese travellers paid the most include Honolulu, New York, London and Dubai. The most budget-friendly were Phuket, Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City. Chinese travellers continue to express a need for tailored services. On-site Chinese restaurants, UnionPay facilities, Chinese television programmes, Mandarin travel guides and Mandarin-speaking staff are highly in demand, with 67 per cent saying they prefer hotels catering to Chinese guests, and 25 per cent claiming they’ll stay only in Chinese-tailored hotels. In the last year, hotels reported an increase of 45 per cent in Chinese guests, with more than half of all Chinese guests being millennials. At hotels, these guests spent the most on dining, room service and WiFi access. In response to the most common requests hotels received from this group, more properties now plan to offer complimentary WiFi, in-room tea kettles, translated welcome materials, Chinese television programmes and Chinese breakfasts. They also plan to expand social media channels to reach Chinese consumers, introduce Chinese-specific marketing initiatives, increase Mandarin-speaking staff and improve Chinese dining options. Many hotel brands already see the benefit in catering to Chinese travellers, with major brands such as InterContinental, Marriott and Hilton offering amenities such as UnionPay facilities, Alipay, Chinese tea and more.