Tourism: China relaunches group travel to 20 “friendly” countries
Chinese tourists at Bali airport in Indonesia, January 22, 2023. © Antara Foto Agency via REUTERS
Text by: RFI Follow
3 mins
Group travel resumes on Monday February 6 in China, after a three-year hiatus.
A pilot program for 20 destinations has been set up in "friendly" countries such as Thailand, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Cuba where Chinese travelers are eagerly awaited to revive the economy. local.
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Chinese travelers descending from large buses and following their guide, small flag in hand.
It will take some time before we see these images of groups of tourists from China again.
If the Chinese online travel platform Ctrip has indeed confirmed a first departure to Thailand on Tuesday, February 7, most local tour operators are still in a wait-and-see position.
The majority of them no longer have a storefront after
three years under “zero Covid”
and therefore without activity.
Shy reservations
And online reservations are currently timid, as explained at the microphone of
Stéphane Lagarde
, RFI correspondent in Beijing, Fang Wenbo, independent travel consultant.
“
The most important thing is the plane tickets, but for the moment the travel agencies and the airlines have not yet negotiated a reduction in price.
Group travel is allowed again, but without a discounted flight, circuits cannot be opened.
Recovery depends on lower ticket prices
.”
A drip recovery after the
long Lunar New Year holidays
which saw individual requests for travel abroad increase.
But it is above all domestic tourism that has exploded, after the lifting of health restrictions.
China's travel recovery alone is expected to add at least 0.5% percentage point to China's growth in 2023.
Relaunch Chinese tourism as a priority
During the first 25 days of the “Spring Festival”, the total number of passengers increased by 56% compared to 2022. “
For 2023, outbound group travel will be quite limited.
China is looking to attract capital at the moment, but not to see that capital flow out via Chinese tourists who spend abroad.
Domestic tourism growth will be much stronger
,” notes Alicia Garcia Herrero, chief economist for Asia-Pacific at Natixis.
Beijing's priority is therefore the revival of domestic tourism and its economy.
In this sense, the Chinese authorities have published a list of 20 countries authorized to receive its nationals.
A very political list which includes Russia, condemned from all sides because of the war in Ukraine, or the populist Hungary of Viktor Orban, the only state of the European Union retained.
As for Southeast Asia, several destinations have been validated: Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore.
In the Pacific, New Zealand is selected, unlike Australia.
India, France or even the United States are not among the lucky ones either.
At all levels, Beijing is adjusting its diplomacy and favoring what Xi Jinping calls “
the circle of his friends
”.
In other words, those who are unlikely to sanction China for political reasons.
► To read also:
Thailand: Chinese tourists again welcomed with open arms
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