China's tourists aren't going far

While most of the rebound thus far has occurred within the domestic market, the academy expects outbound tourism to significantly expand in 2023

Chinese people have embraced travel since the beginning of the year, especially during the Labor Day holiday and the Dragon Boat Festival when the number of trips exceeded those in 2019. But the spending recovery has been more conservative, Zhang said at a briefing in Beijing on Friday.

Key takeaways

• China’s domestic tourism market is expected to rebound to 90% of pre-pandemic levels this year;
• East Asia and Southeast 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;
• Some hurdles slowing the arrival of foreign travelers remain. Traditional sources of tourists, such as Europe, the US, Japan and South Korea, remain sluggish because of political tensions.

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