Tourists from China remain wary of traveling abroad

More than half of Chinese travelers said they had no plans to travel abroad in 2023, according to a survey published Wednesday and shared with Bloomberg, ahead of China’s May Day celebrations. Thirty-one percent of travelers said they had decided not to fly abroad at all.

The return of Chinese tourists to other countries is seen as crucial to the recovery of the global tourism industry. Before the pandemic, China was the world's largest source of outbound tourists, contributing $253 billion to the global economy in 2019. Chinese tourists remain cautious and the situation has not improved much since early 2023, before the country ended its No Covid policies. At that time, 40% of Chinese tourists said they had no plans to travel abroad despite the gradual lifting of restrictions.

The survey was conducted by marketing agency Dragon Trail International from April 4 to April 7, ahead of China's five-day May Day holiday and summer vacation. It involved 1,012 travelers from 49 mainland Chinese cities.

Concerns about the safety of countries outside China are the most important factor influencing their travel decisions, surpassing financial and time factors. Only 10% of Chinese travelers said they had booked overseas trips for 2023, but about half of those who were hesitant said they hoped to travel abroad before the end of 2023.

“We don’t need this survey to tell us that the pace of recovery in China’s outbound tourism market is falling short of many destination countries’ expectations,” said Sienna Parulis-Cook, head of marketing and communications at Dragon Trail.

Australia is the most booked destination for Chinese tourists. Photo: PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images.

Dragon Trail’s results match the slow recovery in Chinese tourism, with arrivals in the first quarter of 2023 at just 12.9% of 2019 levels. A full recovery in Chinese outbound travel could take another year, according to projections from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.

For Chinese outbound travelers during the May holiday, Macau and Jakarta were the top Asian destinations in terms of recovery from 2019, according to booking data from Forward Keys released Wednesday. Cairo and Dubai were the top two international destinations.

Despite the uncertainties surrounding overseas travel plans in 2023, Chinese travelers’ desire to explore the world has not diminished, nor has their interest in group tours. Of those who said they “likely or definitely will travel abroad in 2023,” about 75% said they would choose Asia as their top destination, followed by Europe as their second, and nearly two-thirds said they would book a package tour.

International airlines are gradually reconnecting with China, with British Airways Plc this week resuming daily direct flights from London to Shanghai after two years.

Chinese travel agencies have been licensed to sell overseas group tours to 60 destinations. Although the United States is not on that list, independent travelers can still book tickets to the United States and other destinations if they are granted a visa.

Nguyen Quang Minh (Bloomberg)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/du-khach-tu-trung-quoc-van-lo-ngai-di-du-lich-nuoc-ngoai-a605435.html