With China's speedy ascent in the global tourism arena from sixth place in 2008 to second over the next two years, an increasing need is being felt by Chinese consumers for special structured travel offerings.

A study released by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Wednesday states that although a rising demand for travel is being observed in the country, there has been an equal lag of suitable offerings in the fragmented tourism market.

Affluent travelers abroad find that few hotels offer special services for Chinese, and premium-priced travel packages lack differentiation and interest.

Online travel planning, on the other hand, is found to be unnecessarily complex despite its growing popularity.

The firm notes that with the exception of a few, like Costa Cruises, Club Med and Ctrip, services by some of the most renowned premium hotels and brands have been found lacking in basic amenities.

This, however, creates a rare opportunity for innovative early movers as both affluent travelers and the emerging segment of middle-class tourists in large and small cities are desperately seeking brands and services they can trust.

China Marketing China