As China optimizes and adjusts its anti-epidemic policies and resumes outbound travel by Chinese citizens in an orderly manner, many Chinese people choose to go abroad for vacation during the Spring Festival, which brings confidence to the recovery of the tourism industry in many countries.
Analysts pointed out that the overseas travel of Chinese citizens and the consumption boom during the Chinese New Year have made people feel the strong momentum of economic recovery, and they have also become more aware of the global significance of China's economic improvement.
Looking forward to the future
To welcome the Chinese New Year, the world-renowned ski resort Jungfraujoch in Switzerland has arranged Chinese Year of the Rabbit decorations and traditional red lanterns and other decorations to celebrate the Spring Festival at the starting station of the cable car. Ice sculptures in the form of rabbits are displayed on the glacier to welcome Chinese tourists.
"We wanted to give Chinese tourists a special welcome, so we carved a rabbit on the glacier, because 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese lunar calendar. We have many other welcome ways that show Chinese elements, and these are the first time we have done ” said Kessler, manager of the Jungfrau Railway Company.
The ski resort has always attached great importance to the Asian market. Before the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, it received an average of 750,000 Asian tourists a year.
Kessler said: "I believe that the Chinese market has great potential, so I have done so many activities for Chinese tourists."
On the morning of the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, Bali Airport in Indonesia performed local traditional songs and dances and lion dances with Chinese characteristics to welcome the arrival of the first Chinese tourist charter flight from Shenzhen in 2023.
Governor of Bali Province Koster said that China has been one of the largest source of tourists to Bali for many years.
The arrival of Chinese tourists will definitely promote the vigorous development of tourism in Bali.
In the Maldives, Velana International Airport specially arranged a "Watergate Salute" with a giant jet of water to welcome China's first direct flight to the Maldives after optimizing and adjusting the epidemic prevention policy with high-level etiquette.
On this flight, many Chinese parents traveled abroad with their children on vacation.
Maldives Tourism Minister Maosum said that the arrival of Chinese tourists will greatly promote the tourism industry of Maldives.
Boost the confidence of tourism practitioners
"Chinese tourists have a huge group and strong spending power, which has provided great help to the employment of tourism service industries such as hotels and catering in the Philippines," Xu Zhichao, vice president of the Philippine Oriental Travel Agency, told Xinhua News Agency. "After three years, the Philippine tourism industry There are signs of recovery, and ticket bookings, room reservations and group tours are getting busier. I believe that the people-to-people and cultural exchanges and tourism cooperation between the Philippines and China will definitely develop well.”
"We are waiting for Chinese tourists in Athens with full love!" Talking about the future development prospects, Spiros Belaktaris, a restaurant owner in Greece, is full of expectations.
Raid, a staff member of a local travel agency in the Maldives, said that he is very happy to see Chinese guests coming back, which is undoubtedly good news for the local travel agency and the whole country.
Gaby, the image ambassador of the Dutch Tourism Bureau and the head of Giethoorn Village, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency that the arrival of Chinese tourists will help the Dutch tourism industry continue to recover.
At present, as a popular tourist attraction in the Netherlands, Giethoorn Village is receiving more and more orders from Chinese tour groups.
It is expected that starting from the second quarter, the number of Chinese tourists visiting the Netherlands for high-end self-guided tours and business trips will continue to grow, and the Dutch tourism industry will also benefit from this.
Help the global tourism industry recover
During the Spring Festival, many Chinese tourists came to Long Beach, Bohol and other Philippine tourist destinations for vacation. The local hotels and restaurants were full before the epidemic.
Philippine Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said that the arrival of Chinese tourists is a good sign for the New Year and will greatly help the recovery of the Philippine tourism industry. "Thanks to China for listing the Philippines as one of the first batch of destinations to resume outbound group tourism. We welcome Chinese friends with an open attitude."
In Greece, Tourism Minister Vasilis Kikylias also extended festive greetings to the Chinese.
Tourism is one of the pillar industries of Greece's economy, and its output value accounts for about a quarter of its GDP.
Kigilias said that the Greek tourism industry hopes to continue the recovery momentum in 2023, and needs to further develop the Chinese market and attract Chinese tourists. "I am very looking forward to and very happy to welcome Chinese tourists in Greece."
The day before New Year's Eve, the first Chinese tour group to Egypt arrived at Cairo International Airport after China optimized and adjusted its epidemic prevention policy.
Yahya Zakaria, special representative of the Minister of Civil Aviation of Egypt and chairman of EgyptAir, said at the welcoming ceremony that both Egypt and China are ancient civilizations with splendid histories, and that Egypt is looking forward to visiting China, which is a tourist destination in Egypt. The number of tourists is constantly increasing.
Miguel Sanz, director of the Spanish National Tourism Administration, said that China's orderly resumption of citizens' outbound travel and other measures will help the global tourism market recover comprehensively, and Spain looks forward to welcoming Chinese tourists.
(Participating reporters: Yan Jie, Liu Kai, Yu Qianliang, Che Hongliang, Wang Xiangjiang, Yu Shuaishuai, Liu Yeyu, Yao Bing, Liu Jiaqi, Shan Lei, Lian Yi, Xie Yuzhi) Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 27