China’s domestic tourism to hit 90% of pre-Covid levels in 2023

Friday, July 28, 2023

China’s domestic tourism market is expected to rebound to 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels this year, thanks to surging demand since Covid-related travel restrictions were lifted in late 2022.

A total of 5.5 billion trips are expected within China during 2023, according to the China Tourism Academy.

Revenue generated by the domestic travel market should reach 5 trillion yuan (S$931 billion), about 80 per cent of pre-Covid levels, said the group, the data centre of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Chinese people have embraced travel since the beginning of the year, especially during the Labour Day holiday and the Dragon Boat Festival, when the number of trips exceeded those in 2019, said Zhang Yang, a researcher with the China Tourism Academy.

But the spending recovery has been more conservative, Zhang said at a briefing in Beijing on Friday (Jul 28).

While most of the rebound thus far has occurred within the domestic market, the academy expects outbound tourism to significantly expand in 2023. Some new trends are already emerging.

East Asia and South-east Asia were still the main destinations for Chinese tourists in the first half, with West Asia, Africa and Belt & Road countries gaining popularity as long-haul destinations, Zhang said.

A shortage of international flights and difficulties getting visas could limit the rebound, the academy warned. 

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