China to Allow Group Overseas Travel from the 6th
Most Flights to 20 Countries Fully Booked
[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyun-jung] Group tours for Chinese tourists abroad have resumed for the first time since the spread of COVID-19. This follows the government’s approval of group travel for its citizens to 20 countries including Thailand, Indonesia, and Russia, while countries that recently experienced quarantine-related conflicts such as Korea, the United States, and Japan were excluded from the list.
According to China’s state-run CCTV on the 6th, the General Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism allowed travel agencies nationwide to sell group tours and combined airline ticket and hotel packages only to the countries designated by the government starting from that day. The countries open for travel include Thailand, Maldives, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Switzerland, Hungary, New Zealand, Fiji, Indonesia, Cambodia, among a total of 20 countries. Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Cuba, Argentina, as well as Russia, which is currently at war, were also included on the list.
On the first day of the resumption of group tours, flights operated between Shanghai, China and Phuket, Thailand, as well as Guangzhou and Dubai. On the following day, the 7th, group tourists are scheduled to depart for various countries including those in Europe. Chinese online travel agency Trip.com launched over 700 travel products to 15 major cities worldwide in line with the resumption of travel. According to Chinese media NBD, most flights to the 20 countries are fully booked.
Some countries have sent welcoming messages. A representative from the New Zealand Tourism Board told China’s state-run Global Times (GT), “We are pleased that travel restrictions have been lifted and New Zealand can welcome Chinese visitors,” adding, “Chinese tourists travel even during the off-season and are high-quality visitors who participate in various activities and cultural experiences.” Additionally, GT reported that “the embassies of Switzerland, Singapore, and Thailand also expressed their expectations for Chinese tourists and indicated their willingness to cooperate.”
A significant increase in tourists is expected to appear from next month. A Trip.com official said, “Many Chinese restaurants overseas have closed and local guides have changed jobs due to COVID-19, so it will take time for the market to recover,” adding, “Group tourists will increase significantly by March.” The official explained, “Currently, products are being offered mainly for countries that have easy entry and show a friendly attitude toward Chinese tourists,” and “consumers also prefer those countries.”
It is expected that there will be no Chinese group tourists visiting Korea for the time being. This is because Chinese authorities excluded Korea, the United States, Japan, and other countries that recently had conflicts over strengthened quarantine measures from the list of countries open for travel. This appears to be a retaliatory response to quarantine strengthening measures such as mandatory COVID-19 testing for arrivals from China and restrictions on issuing short-term visas. Industry insiders predict that group tourism exchanges will only be possible after the number of COVID-19 cases in China continues to decline and entry procedures and visa issuance, which had raised barriers between the two countries, are resumed, so it will take some time for the related market to recover.
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