International most expensive and cheapest travel destinations
The Tourism Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences recently released a report indicating that Dalian, Wuxi, and Shanghai have become the three Chinese cities with the highest standard travel costs, while Xianyang, Dunhuang, and Harbin are the three cheapest. The report conducted focused monitoring on the consumption prices in 50 key tourist cities nationwide, as well as categorized prices such as accommodation, transportation, and admission fees. In terms of standard urban travel expenses, in June this year, Xianyang City in Shaanxi Province had a standard cost of just 196 yuan, Dunhuang 293 yuan, and Harbin 300 yuan, making them the three cheapest cities. Meanwhile, Dalian ranked first with 697 yuan, Wuxi second with 664 yuan, and Shanghai third with 658 yuan among the 50 cities in terms of standard travel costs.
Dalian has become the Chinese city with the highest standard travel cost, while Xianyang is the cheapest.
Highest spending
Dalian
697 yuan
Wuxi
664 yuan
Shanghai
658 yuan
Spending
Lowest
Xianyang
196 yuan
Dunhuang
293 yuan
Harbin
300 yuan
Standard urban travel cost
Refers to one night's accommodation
Visiting two
Representative A-level scenic spots
And total in-city transportation expenses
Top ten cities with the best environments
Travel city ranking
Reporters learned from the city tourism bureau that at the recently held 27th Hong Kong International Travel Expo, based on comprehensive expert opinions and online voting results, China’s top ten cities with the best environments for tourism were selected. The ranking is as follows: Dalian, Yantai, Lianyungang, Suzhou, Beihai, Sanya, Haikou, Zhuhai, Zhanjiang, and Guilin.
It is reported that at the end of the four-day travel expo, based on expert opinions and online voting, China’s top ten cities with the best environments for tourism were selected. Industry insiders noted that the selection results show that the majority of the selected cities are located by the sea, indicating that the experts’ evaluation criteria placed significant emphasis on ocean scenery, which also aligns with the theme of “2013 China Marine Tourism Year” proposed by the National Tourism Administration this year.
Reporter investigation
Why do tourists have different perceptions of high consumption in tourist cities?
Why are Shanghai but not Beijing among the top three cities with the highest tourism spending?
Xianyang is not a traditional tourist city and lacks comparative significance.
Seasonal variations are obvious, so comparing based on just one period is unreasonable.
Regarding the tourism consumption standards selected by the Tourism Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, many industry experts and tourists have expressed doubts: tourism consumption is highly subjective, with clear seasonal differentiation. How much practical guidance does such statistically derived standard urban spending really offer?
Based on the standard of “a tourist staying one night, visiting two representative attractions, and using a set of urban transportation,” the most expensive cities for tourism consumption are Dalian, Wuxi, and Shanghai. Dun Jidong, head of Ctrip Travel, told reporters that Shanghai’s cost of living has always been relatively high. Dalian is a popular tourist destination where per capita income is not high, yet the cost of living remains consistently high, with accommodation and travel expenses during peak seasons also quite substantial. The spending levels in these two cities roughly align with public perception. Wuxi’s tourism costs are pushed up primarily due to relatively expensive attraction ticket prices.
Beijing’s cost of living is comparable to Shanghai’s, so why is Shanghai but not Beijing among the top three for high tourism consumption? Experts explain that Beijing’s attraction ticket prices are relatively low, supported by policy. Additionally, when considering public transportation, travel in Beijing is also more affordable. Hangzhou, another tourist city, shows lower prices in the statistics largely because West Lake is open to the public free of charge. However, experts note that although some cities like Nanjing and Suzhou did not make the top three, their overall costs across these metrics are not necessarily cheaper than those of the top three high-spending cities.
Experts still have questions about the statistical criteria for the 50 cities. Dun Jidong explained that even if all use three-star hotels as the accommodation benchmark, prices vary significantly depending on whether it’s peak or off-season and whether the hotel is located in the city center or suburbs. Moreover, the urban transportation metric in the statistics — whether based on buses, subways, tour buses, or taxis — also leads to notable price differences.
“Tourist cities have distinct peak and off-peak seasons, so comparing based solely on one particular period is not reasonable,” Zhang Lingjie, general manager of the Domestic Department at China International Travel Service, told reporters. Due to climate differences between northern and southern China, the peak and off-peak seasons in tourist cities are very pronounced, and standards such as accommodation and ticket prices also fluctuate with visitor numbers. For instance, if statistics are gathered during the Spring Festival, housing prices in Sanya can reach 6,000 to 8,000 yuan per night, but once summer arrives, they drop to around 500 to 600 yuan per night. In cities like Qinhuangdao and Beidaihe, the timing of peak and off-peak seasons is the opposite of Sanya’s.
Similarly, August is the peak tourist season in Tibet and Xinjiang, where travel prices are relatively higher compared to other cities, while January prices in Tibet and Xinjiang are roughly on par with the three cheapest cities identified in this study. Currently, domestic travel agencies’ procurement prices also fluctuate with the local tourism peak and off-season. Taking the three cheapest cities in this study as examples, experts explained that Xianyang is not a traditional tourist city and thus lacks comparative meaning; Harbin benefits from low living costs, which contribute to lower travel expenses; whereas Dunhuang shows significant price differences between peak and off-peak seasons.
“Everyone has different travel needs, and people don’t avoid a city just because it’s expensive or go to one just because it’s cheap,” the reporter observed. On forums and social media platforms, many tourists have raised similar concerns: actual travel expenses in a city are determined by factors such as transport costs due to travel distance, individual spending power, travel timing, and duration — all of which vary widely. How much practical value can a single standardized daily consumption figure for a tourist city really provide? By Fu Yang, our reporter. J004
Top Global Most Expensive Tourist Cities
Per Day · USD
Norway · Oslo
$581
Switzerland · Zurich
$523.41
Sweden · Stockholm
$521.68
USA · New York
$515.97
France · Paris
$511.40
Australia · Sydney
$460.21
UK · London
$451.35
Denmark · Copenhagen
$443.58
Mexico · Cancun
$441.06
Dominican Republic · Punta Cana
$435.66
Foreign Rankings
Honolulu is in the United States
the most expensive travel destination
So what price range is now considered acceptable by travelers? According to the third annual Travelers’ Choice Cities Cost Index released recently by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest and most popular travel community, Honolulu—one of the world’s top travel destinations—has become the most expensive place to visit in the U.S. right now.
The index from TripAdvisor is based on the combined cost of one night at a four-star hotel for two people, a cocktail, a two-course meal with a bottle of wine, and a round-trip taxi ride (two miles per trip). The spending figures also reflect current pricing trends for this summer.
A round-trip to London equals 20 trips to Kuala Lumpur
1. It costs travelers $389.36 to stay overnight in Honolulu, a price that could almost cover three nights in Las Vegas ($135.94 per night).
2. A round-trip journey in London costs about $41.47, while the same amount allows nearly twenty trips in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ($2.13 per trip).
3. Two diners can enjoy two dinners in Taiwan for $44.86, while the same amount can buy two rounds of cocktails in Seoul, South Korea ($44.50).
Top of the World's Cheapest Travel Cities
Per Day · USD
Bulgaria · Sofia
$158.42
Vietnam · Hanoi
$176.14
Poland · Warsaw
$187.45
Egypt · Sharm El Sheikh
$191.34
Hungary · Budapest
$193.44
Thailand · Bangkok
$201.15
Malaysia · Kuala Lumpur
$217.73
Tunisia · Tunis
$218.91
South Africa · Cape Town
$219.46
Saudi Arabia · Riyadh
$220.14