Chinese tourists traveling abroad are no longer just sightseeing and shopping, but have other purposes, including taking the International Driving Permit (IDP) test on South Korea’s Jeju Island, viewing properties or investing in emerging markets such as Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia, or taking their children to visit prestigious universities in the U.S. and the UK to explore more study-abroad options. These have all become the “added value” of their overseas trips.
One of the hottest itineraries today is the IDP trip to Jeju Island. On October 23, the “2018 China (Jinan) Self-Drive Travel Conference” held in Jinan, Shandong, released official statistics from the Chinese mainland, indicating that in 2017, self-driving trips accounted for over 65% of the tourism market, exceeding 3.1 billion trips, with the post-80s and post-90s generations being the most active.
High success rate for getting a license on Jeju Island
As mainland China is not a signatory to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, no institution (including the Vehicle Management Office under the Traffic Management Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security) can issue an IDP. Instead, they can only provide an “International Driving Permit Translation and Authentication Document,” which, although recognized by institutions and car rental companies in various countries, still faces obstacles in some regions. Therefore, many Chinese who enjoy independent travel, self-drive tours, or backpacking choose to take the test on Jeju Island, which has had a visa exemption policy for years. According to data from the Jeju Driving Test Center, in the first nine months of this year, 2,172 Chinese tourists have obtained an IDP, averaging nearly 60 people per week.
Chinese businesses also offer related driving test tour services, partnering with driving schools on Jeju Island. Prices range from 6,000 yuan (RMB, the same below) to 15,000 yuan (approximately NT$27,100 to NT$67,800), covering medical check-ups at hospitals, written exams, closed-course driving tests, and road tests. The completion time ranges from one afternoon to three nights and four days. Moreover, traffic signs for the written test and driving routes are all in Chinese, claiming a high success rate for obtaining an IDP, while also allowing easy sightseeing and shopping on Jeju Island.
As housing prices in first- and second-tier cities on the Chinese mainland slow down or even decline, and with the government’s Belt and Road Initiative continuing to increase investment in neighboring countries, Chinese investors are turning their attention to emerging markets such as Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Many travel agencies have seized this trend and launched tour packages that combine sightseeing with property viewing.
Property-viewing tours gain popularity, attracting investors
Data published by the Cambodian government shows that in 2017, the country received approximately 1.2 million Chinese tourists, accounting for 21% of total international visitors—an increase of 46% from 2016—surpassing Vietnam for the first time as the largest source of tourists. Among the Chinese tourists shuttling through Phnom Penh, some are not targeting popular attractions like Angkor Wat or the Royal Palace, but rather newly built apartment complexes.
Local real estate agents indicate that in 2017, there were very few property-viewing customers, but this year, an average of three groups of Chinese tourists visit every day, with location being the top priority. In Nha Trang, Vietnam, property-viewing tours are even more popular. Most real estate sales brochures have Chinese versions, and many Chinese tourists visit Nha Trang for both sightseeing and property hunting, making direct purchases via credit card or Alipay if they find something they like.
Quick Guide: International Driving Permit
An International Driving Permit (IDP) is issued by governments of countries that are signatories to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. It specifies the content and format in accordance with the convention, allowing drivers from their own country to operate private vehicles in other signatory countries. The content and specifications are established by the Vienna Road Traffic Conference, and not every country has ratified or applies the convention.
A driver must hold both an official driver’s license issued by a single country or region and an IDP for the latter to be considered valid. Moreover, an IDP cannot exist alone but is an additional document attached to the driver’s license, featuring multilingual instructions that include the driver’s basic information and the types of vehicles they are permitted to drive. This helps resolve communication barriers between drivers and traffic authorities in other countries.
(Liao Huijuan)