During the Year of the Horse Spring Festival in 2014, outbound travel became a popular choice for many consumers. The number of group outbound tourists alone reached 4.725 million, an 18% increase year-on-year. As people’s living standards improve, more consumers hope to enhance their quality of life through outbound travel.
The Year of the Horse also brought more benefits for outbound travel. Take the Canadian visa as an example — not only has the visa fee been reduced, but travelers can also enjoy more advantages.
Canada visa upgrade: multiple entries within 10 years
On February 3, 2014, Citizenship and Immigration Canada officially announced that starting from February 6, all visitor visas to Canada would be automatically upgraded to multiple-entry visas, valid for up to 10 years without the need to reapply each time, with each stay permitted for up to 6 months.
Under the new policy, residents of mainland China will enjoy significant convenience for business visas, study visas, and tourist visas. Not only has the visa policy become more favorable, but the visa fees have also been reduced — multiple-entry visas have dropped from the previous CAD 150 to CAD 100.
Canada’s improved visa policies mean that residents of mainland China will now only need to apply for a visa once via the Easy Visa official website (http://www.yi-visa.com/) to enjoy multiple-entry visa services for up to 10 years. Previous policies were much more restrictive, such as limiting stays to 90 days and requiring a minimum visa validity of 80 days.
Outbound travel habits change, O2O model rises in visa industry
As outbound travel trends among mainland Chinese become increasingly youth-oriented, e-commerce-based visa application methods are gaining popularity. Data from Easy Visa during the Year of the Horse Spring Festival shows that more post-80s and post-90s travelers are becoming the main customers for online visa services.
The O2O model in the visa industry is not primarily about expanding demand, but rather about enhancing the service experience. E-commerce has profoundly changed our lives and the way we travel. The idea of taking a spontaneous trip may no longer be so far-fetched.
The rise of the O2O model has greatly benefited consumers by offering greater convenience. Simplicity and ease will be key aspects of future lifestyles and attitudes. The successful implementation of the O2O model in the visa industry has not only built a strong commercial reputation, but has also made the integration of overseas resources possible.