Sunday, June 23, 2024
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The visa exemption policy is expected to lead to a significant increase in overseas travel by Chinese tourists this summer.
Data from Chinese online travel agencies shows a significant increase in searches for flights and hotels, pointing to a strong recovery in international travel.
According to Trip.com, searches for flights and hotels are up about 20 percent year-over-year.
Additionally, weekly searches for summer travel from June 10-14 increased 15% compared to the same period in 2019.
This surge is largely due to recent visa simplification policies that have made international travel more accessible for Chinese tourists.
The announcement of the extension of the visa-free period between China and Malaysia has generated significant interest.
China has extended its visa waiver until the end of 2025, while Malaysia has extended it until the end of 2026.
Additionally, Tongcheng Travel highlighted a significant increase in Australia-related searches.
This comes after China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced multiple entry visas for business, tourism and family visits, valid for up to five years and allowing stays of up to 90 days each.
Xu Xiaolei, marketing manager at one company, noted that rising demand from Chinese tourists combined with a recovery in domestic consumption has laid a strong foundation for the outbound travel boom.
Xu reported that the company's international travel has increased by more than 50% year-on-year, with the tourism industry recovering to or exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
The China Tourism Academy predicts that the number of Chinese outbound tourists will exceed 87 million in 2023, reaching 130 million this year.
Jia Jianqiang, CEO of Beijing-based online agency 6renyou, said the company's international travel business has returned to pre-pandemic levels thanks to the resumption of international flights and visa-waiver policies.
Jia expects the number of international travelers this summer to increase by 30 percent compared to last year.
Chinese airlines are rapidly resuming international flights.
Air China plans to operate an average of 201 international and regional flights per day, restoring the average number of flights on routes to 84% of 2019 levels.
China Eastern aims to operate more than 1,240 international and regional flights per week, representing 90.8% of the same period in 2019.
The international civil aviation market is expected to recover to about 80% of 2019 levels this summer, according to Flymaster data.
Southeast Asia and East Asia remain popular destinations for Chinese travelers.
Zhang Yi, CEO of the research institute, stressed that the visa simplification policy not only makes it easier to obtain a visa, but also has the effect of increasing domestic tourists' interest in overseas destinations and encouraging them to take action and plan their trips.
