Abstract
Tourist behaviour involves decisions, activities or experiences individuals engage in to meet their tourism needs. Tourists with different cultural backgrounds think and behave differently as behaviour is culturally bound. Chinese tourist behaviour is challenging for Western researchers to understand due to the country’s unique beliefs and values. Besides the cultural uniqueness, Chinese tourists’ behaviour is changing as shown by the preference shift in the Chinese tourism market from package to independent travel, and the generational rise of Chinese Generation Z (Gen Z). These shifts have significant consequences for the structure and demand of the tourism sector. The aim of the thesis is to advance consumer behaviour knowledge with respect to the dynamics of Chinese tourists abroad. It endeavours to provide new insights into the drivers of tourism market changes, the behavioural similarities and differences between group package and independent tourists and the decision-making processes of Chinese Generation Z, with the goal of advancing theoretical frameworks of tourist behavioural research. This thesis consists of three independent but interconnected studies. The first conceptual study seeks to identify the factors that drive the change in travel modes from organised packages to independent tours and shed light on the characteristics and behaviours of Chinese outbound tourists. The second study identifies spatial movement patterns of Chinese group and independent travellers in a large-scale multi-destination (Europe) to discern how independent tourists' spatial behaviour differs from group travellers. The third study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the decision-making process of Chinese Gen Z in planning a trip to Europe. The first contribution consists of a conceptual study, based on past literature, that analyses the behavioural differences and similarities between Chinese group and independent tourists in terms of motivation, constraints, preferences, segmentation and overall characteristics, and also contributes to the understanding of market change in tourism by articulating the factors behind the shift from group to independent travel in China. The second contribution studies Chinese tourists´ movements and flows in a transnational multi-destination scenario. It analyses and compares the observable tourist flows and itineraries as a complement to understanding tourist behaviour. This research captures the broader, interconnected travel patterns to understand better how tourists from China, navigate multiple destinations within Europe and explain more realistically their tourism behaviour. In addition, the insights gathered challenge the previous characterizations of independent tourists. The movement patterns suggest that independent tourists are not entirely immune to patterns traditionally associated with package tourism, such as visiting well-trodden attractions or seeking familiar comforts in unfamiliar environments. It invites a reconsideration of how independent tourism is framed in both academic discourse and marketing strategies. The third contribution investigates the decision-making process of trip itinerary planning among Chinese Gen Z. This study matches the postmodern consumer theory. The hedonic and experiential nature of tourist consumption offers a way to understand how Chinese tourists make decisions. The international vacation is no longer considered an objective entity but rather a subjective symbol associated with emotional responses, sensory pleasures, daydreams or aesthetic perceptions. Moreover, this study is pioneering in analysing the “special forces” travel style within tourism literature, a peculiar phenomenon previously underexplored comprehensively. The adoption of this travel style reflects two decision-making paradigms: an experiential mode prioritizing emotional fulfilment, spontaneity and immersion, and a rational mode focused on strategic problem-solving to optimize travel outcomes. This thesis provides a significant contribution to the advancement in understanding the behaviour of Chinese tourists abroad by investigating the drivers of tourism market change, differences and similarities in the behaviours of group and independent tourists, and decision-making process of Chinese Gen Z. By employing a multi-method approach and contextualizing its findings within both theoretical and practical domains, this thesis advances the academic understanding of tourism behaviour while maintaining significant real-world relevance.