Managing tourist congestion: insights from Chinese package tours to the UK and Ireland

Figures & data

Table 1. All-package tour itineraries to the UK operated by Chinese tour operators.

Name	The length of stay (days)	Average driving distance per day (km)	Total driving distance (km)	Package tour price (RMB)	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7	Day 8	Day 9	Day 10	Day 11	Day 12	Day 13	Day 14
Tongcheng (TC)	10	110.5	1105	17838	Nanjing–Frankf urt–London	London–Cambridg e–Windsor–Lond on	London	London	London–Stonehenge–Bath–British Village	Burton on the water–Stratford Upon Avon–Manchester	Manchester–Winderm ere–Gretna Green–British Town	Edinburgh	Edinburgh–Frankfurt–N anjing	Nanjing	N/A
	Driving Distance Per Day (km)				0 km	170 km	20 km	20 km	230 km	240 km	385 km	20 km	20 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km
Caissa Travel (CAT)	10	111.5	966.4	9988	Shanghai	Shanghai–London–Cambridge–York–Small town in the UK	Windermere–Manc hester	Manchester–Glouces ter–Bibury–British Town	Bourton on the water–Oxford	Bicester–Windsor–Lon don	London	London	London–Shanghai	Shanghai	N/A
	Driving Distance Per Day (km)				0 km	354 km	149 km	257 km	51.4 km	115 km	20 km	20 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km
China Youth Travel Service (CYTS)	10	119.6	1675	23800	Beijing	London–Cambridg e–York	York–Edinburgh	Edinburgh–Winderm ere Lake–Manchester	Manchester–BBC studio–Stratford Upon Avon–Oxford	Oxford–Bicester Village–Stonehenge–W indsor	Windsor castle–Harry potter film company–London	London city tour	London–Beijing	Beijing	N/A
	Driving Distance Per Day (km)				0 km	345 km	340 km	380 km	315 km	200 km	75 km	20 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km
China International Travel Limited (CITS)	10	139.4	1872	28000	Nanjing–Londo n	London–Cambridg e–York	York–Edingburgh	Edinburgh–St Andrews–Pitlochy–Inverness	Inverness–Lake Ness–Fort William–Luss village–Glassgow	Glasgow–Windermere District–Manchester	Manchester–Stratford–Cotswolds district–Blemnheim Palace–Oxord	Oxford–Windsor Castle–London	London City Tour	London–Nanjing	N/A
	Driving Distance Per Day (km)				0 km	350 km	336 km	270 km	240 km	300 km	266 km	90 km	20 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km
Shanghai Spring International Travelser (SSIT)	10	156	2185	14799	Shanghai–Lond on	London–Cambridg e–York–Small town in the UK	Small Town–Edinburgh	Edinburgh –Loch Lomond–Windermer e	Windermere lake–Chester–Manch ester	Manchester–Bicester Village–Oxford	Oxford–Bath–Stone henge–London	London–Windsor–L ondon	London –Shanghai	Shanghai	N/A
	Driving Distance Per Day (km)				0 km	340 km	403 km	412 km	355 km	270 km	305 km	80 km	20 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km
China Comfort Travel (CCT)	10	216.2	1561	9599	Being–Edinbur gh	Edinburgh–York–Leeds	Leeds–Cambridge–London	London	London	London–Oxford–Bicester Village–Stratford–Birmi ngham	Birmingham–Chester–Manchester–Winde rmere	Windermere–Gretna Green–Edinburgh	Edinbrugh–Beijing	Beijing	N/A
	Driving Distance Per Day (km)				0 km	376 km	350 km	20 km	20 km	215 km	317 km	243 km	20 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km
Zhongxin Travel Agent (ZXT)	11	160.1	2242	25800	Beijing–Londo n	London–Oxford–Stratford upon Avon–Birmingham	Birmingham–Thoma s theme Park–Manchester	Manchester–Winder mere–Carlisle	Carlisle–Newcastle	Newcastle–Whitby–Go athland–Pickerling–Yor k	York–Cambridge–L ondon	London City tour	London–Birmingham–London	London	London–Windsdo r–Beijing	N/A
	Driving Distance Per Day (km)				0 km	284 km	220 km	189 km	324 km	508 km	425 km	20 km	202 km	20 km	50 km	0 km	0 km	0 km
Jin Jiang Travel (JJT)	11	69	1250	22490	Shanghai–Lond on	London	London	London–Cambridge–Oxford	Oxford–Bicester Village–The Stratfrod–Manchester	Manchester–Windermer e–Glassgow	Glassgow–Edinburgh–Glassgow	Glassgow–Cairn Lane(Ferry)–Belfast–Giants Causeway–Belfast	Limerick–Cliffs of Moher–Dublin	Dublin–Shanghai	Shanghai	N/A
	Driving Distance Per Day (km)				0 km	20 km	20 km	300 km	350 km	146 km	150 km	120 km	124 km	20 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km
China Travel Service (CTS)	11	112	1569	23800	London	London–Oxford–Bicester Village	Costwolds–Manchester–Bronte passonage museum–Lake district	Lake District–Edinburgh	Edinburgh–UK’s Villages	Arnik Town–York	York–Cambridge–L ondon	Cambridge–Greenwic h royal observatory–London	London city tour	London–Winsdor–Beijing	Beijing
	Driving Distance Per Day (km)				0 km	20 km	120 km	337 km	194 km	100 km	324 km	359 km	20 km	20 km	0 km	0 km	0 km	0 km
Ctrip	12	118.7	1425	32400	Beijing–Londo n	London	London–Cotswolds	Cotswolds–Manches ter	Windermere Lake tour	Manor Tour–Edinburgh	Edinburgh–Newcastle	Newcastle–York	Cambridge	London tour	London–Beijing	Beijing	N/A
	Driving Distance Per Day (km)				0 km	20 km	120 km	245 km	20 km	300 km	195 km	142 km	258 km	105 km	20 km	0 km	0 km	0 km
BTG International Travel & Tours (BTG)	13	121.8	1705	16499	Beijing	Beijing–Edinburgh–Lake Disticts	Lake District–York–Lee ds	Leeds–Cambridge–London	London	London (Freedom Day)	London–Oxford–Ca rdiff–Small village in the UK	Small town–Cheshire–Live pool	Livepool–Holly–Dublin–Dundalk	Dundalk–Giant's Causeway–Belfast	Belfast–Dublin	Dublin–Beij ing	Beijing	N/A
	Driving Distance Per Day (km)				0 km	194 km	172 km	350 km	20 km	20 km	279 km	50 km	349 km	83 km	168 km	20 km	0 km	0 km
Tuniu	13	154	2008	17627	Nanjing–Helsin ki–London	London Tour	London tour	London–Windsor–Bicester Village–Oxford	Oxford–Burton on the water–Stratford upon Avon–Nottingham	Nottingham–Chartswort h House–York–Leeds	Leeds–Windermere–Scotland Village	Edinburgh–Glassgow	Glassgow–Cairnryan–T he Giant's Causeway–Belfast	Belfast–Cliffs of Moher–Limerick	Limerick–Dublin	Dublin–Hel sinkin–Nanj ing	Nanjing	N/A
	Driving Distance Per Day (km)				0 km	20 km	20 km	140 km	211 km	217 km	350 km	80 km	374 km	400 km	196 km	0 km	0 km	0 km
Guang Zhilv (COZL)	15	89.3	3027	16999	Guangzhou–Lo ndon	London–Cambridg e–London	London Tour	London–Windsor–Oxford–Swindon	Swindon–Stonehenge–Bath–Cardiff	Cardiff–Livepool–Man chester	Manchester–Winderm ere–Edinburgh	Edinburgh–Anstruther–St Andrew–Aberdeen	Aberdeen–Augustus Town (Loch Ness)–Fort Willam–Glencoe–Glassg ow	Glassgow–Cairnryan–Larne–Giant Causeway	Belfast–Dublin	Dublin–Cliff ofmoher–A dare–Limeri ck	Limerick–Kildare Village–Dublin	Dublin–G uangzhou
	Driving Distance Per Day (km)				0 km	290 km	20 km	120 km	201 km	351 km	394 km	220 km	344 km	227 km	168 km	336 km	336 km	20 km

Table 2. Categories of group tour itineraries to the UK.

Tour operators	Patterns	Group I	Group II	Group III
Tong Cheng Online (TC)	Linear Domestic	Linear Domestic	Linear Domestic	Linear
Beijing Tourism Group (BTG)	Linear International	Linear International	Linear International
Guang Zhi Lv (GZL)
Jin Jiang Travel (JJT)
TuNiu Online (TN)
China Comfort Travel (CCT)	Anticlockwise circle	Anticlockwise circle	Circle	Circle
Caissa Travel (CT)	Clockwise circle	Clockwise circle
China International Travel (CIT)
China Travel Service (CTS)
China Youth Travel Service (CYT)
Ctrip
Shanghai Spring International Travel (SSI)
Zhong Xin Travel (ZXT)

Note: Sig. at p < 0.05.

Figure 1. Line density of group tour itineraries to the UK.

Figure 2. Hot, cold and insignificant spot of group tour itineraries.

Figure 3. Line density of tour itineraries in London.

Figure 4. Directional distribution of Chinese package tours in the UK.

Table 3. Groups of itinerary patterns.

Tour operators		Duration (days)	Number of stops	Driving distance (km)	Ellipse (km^2)	Kurtosis	Rotation
Tong Cheng Online		10	12	1099	799,023	2.79	146.69
Caissa Travel		10	11	1200	402,923	1.57	137.92
China Comfort Travel		10	13	1570	650,687	2.98	147.17
China International Travel		10	17	2043	989,527	4.83	144.01
China Youth Travel Service		10	12	1680	670,381	2.81	147.57
Shanghai Spring International Travel		10	12	2135	803,924	4.30	144.21
Jin Jiang Travel		11	14	2209	2,838,497	0.45	102.93
Zhong Xin Travel		11	17	1705	695,952	1.81	147.31
China Travel Service		12	13	1709	601,147	3.08	144.69
Ctrip		12	9	1429	692,353	3.25	145.01
Beijing Tourism Group		13	15	2218	1,765,667	0.45	109.54
TuNiu Online		13	18	2212	2,720,394	0.48	102.23
Guang Zhi Lv		15	24	3075	3,581,738	0.71	120.40
Mean		11.3	14.4	1867	1,324,016	2.27	133.82
Standard deviation		1.54	3.73	506	1,050,353	1.42	17.34
Group I	F-value	3.874	1.734	5.384	18.017	6.193	39.788
	Sig.	0.050	0.229	0.021	0.000	0.014	0.000
Group II	F-value	6.088	2.890	8.799	29.994	10.302	64.598
	Sig.	0.019	0.102	0.006	0.000	0.004	0.000
Group III	F-value	5.060	3.107	2.960	18.938	11.763	19.051
	Sig.	0.046	0.106	0.113	0.001	0.006	0.001