Skift Take
China's tourism experts warned the industry to prepare for the return of the Chinese traveler months ago — meaning active destination promotions with special packages catering to China's reopening should already be in place. We will know how well it heeded that call in the days ahead.
If the sudden dropping of all restrictions by the Chinese government caught travel agents and tour operators off-guard, it begs the question: why?
China's tourism experts warned the industry to prepare for the return of the Chinese traveler months ago — meaning active destination promotions with special packages catering to China's reopening should already be in place.
However, key concerns out of the travel agent's direct control include air connectivity, visa and passport application backlogs, and Covid-19 travel requirements. But come Sunday, the revenge Chinese traveler will enter the fold whether the sector is ready or not, as China lifts long-held quarantine requirements.
In 2019, 155 million Chinese travelled abroad, spending $254.6 billion, with meaningful recovery in mass tourism only expected in the second quarter of 2023.