For the first time in three years, as of Sunday, Chinese nationals are now permitted to travel abroad, prompting a wave of nervous excitement among tourism operators in Asia and elsewhere about the long-awaited return of cash-flush Chinese travelers.
Outbound travel bookings surged 254% immediately after the announcement that all travel restrictions would be removed as of January 8th. Destinations in Asia are by far the most popular choice, which will no doubt come as a relief for the region’s beleaguered travel sector, that has suffered without Chinese visitors.
But that enthusiasm is dampened by concerns that Chinese arrivals will bring with them the highly transmissible COVID-19 variant XBB.1.5 that is currently spreading rapidly throughout China, the U.S. and other parts of the world.
While Asia’s industrial giants like Japan and South Korea have announced new testing requirements for Chinese arrivals, developing countries in the region have largely forgone restrictions in a bid to attract as many Chinese tourists as possible.
But even though it’s now possible for Chinese to travel abroad, many may opt to stay home — at least for now.
Bear in mind the Chinese New Year holiday is just two weeks away and many people may want to go home to see relatives they haven’t seen for years due to domestic travel restrictions. Additionally, according to Bloomberg, a limited number of flights and high ticket prices may also be key factors discouraging Chinese travelers from going abroad.
How Countries in Asia and Africa Are Responding to the Return of Chinese Travelers:
- THAILAND: While Thailand will not require visitors to take a COVID test on arrival, it does require proof of health insurance. (BLOOMBERG)
- VIETNAM: With direct air links resuming and calls to ease visa restrictions, Vietnam is eagerly awaiting Chinese visitors who only need to show a PCR test taken within 48 hours of arrival. (VNEXPRESS)
- MALAYSIA: Chinese tourists were Malaysia’s third-largest source of visitors before the pandemic and Kuala Lumpur wants them to return ASAP. To make things easy for Chinese tourists, KL is not imposing any requirements. (JAKARTA POST)
- MOROCCO: The government banned all arrivals from China, regardless of nationality, as of January 3rd due to the surge of Chinese COVID cases. The Kingdom went out of its way to say its stringent measures were not political. (NORTH AFRICA POST)
- GHANA: Everyone arriving from China must show proof of a PCR test taken within 48 hours of departure, plus take a COVID test when they land at Kotoka International Airport in Accra. (GHANA BUSINESS NEWS)
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?: Before the pandemic, Chinese tourism accounted for $288 billion, a quarter of the entire industry, and when it dried up, developing countries suffered disproportionately. Now, these countries are hoping that the return of Chinese visitors will improve their fortunes as well — regardless of COVID.
SUGGESTED READING:
- Al Jazeera: China’s lingering COVID fears cloud global travel rebound by Andy Peñafuerte
- News24: This is how attracting Chinese tourists can help South African industry recover, suggests hospitality expert by Carin Smith
