Developing Destination Experiences - A Study on Chinese Tourism in Rovaniemi

Abstract

The number of incoming Chinese tourists is increasing rapidly in Rovaniemi, Finland, with an expected 50,000 arrivals during the year 2017. With such substantial growth, service providers must make sense of the needs and demands of these consumers in order to better the destination experience, maintain steady growth and receive repeat visitations. This thesis explored travel behaviour specific to the Chinese and aimed to demonstrate how and why destinations are selected and what factors affect destination satisfaction. The findings were used to determine development needs for an enhanced destination experience. The theoretical basis consisted of Chinese travel behaviour, including definitions of consumer behaviour, the decision-making process, needs and demands, travel motivations and preferences, as well as destination choices. A survey was used as the foundation of discovering travel behaviour specific to Chinese tourists travelling to Rovaniemi and to outline developmental needs for the destination. The survey was sent to 53 possible participants and answered by 12 respondents, with a response rate of 22.6%. The results suggested there is a need for improvement in the availability of information in Chinese, shopping opportunities and local transportation. It was also evident that digitalization is a significant factor in reaching Chinese consumers and that platforms, such as WeChat and Alibaba, should be integrated into the services of local tourism providers. Additionally, differing travel preferences between generations should be noted and the Christmas brand of Rovaniemi should be expanded into the street view.