China’s tourism industry is showing strong signs of recovery from the pandemic as both domestic and international travel bookings increase. Domestic flights have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, indicating a strong desire for travel within the country. This comes as a relief to the tourism sector, which suffered immensely from the pandemic-induced travel restrictions and lockdowns.
Over the first three weeks of March, flight bookings in a number of Chinese cities have exceeded what were seen in the same period in 2019, according to online travel booking agency Qunar.com.
A great determinant of China’s soaring tourism is the country’s acclaimed attractions, such as the famous Great Wall, the Terracotta Army, the Forbidden City and more. The Great Wall was voted as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in 2007, not only because of its long history, but also considering its massive construction size, and its unique architectural style.
The abrupt lifting of China’s zero-Covid policy in December paved the way for a quick comeback in business activity in metropolitan areas, and tourism destinations are once again buzzing.
At the same time, there was a surge in international flight bookings, especially to South Korea and Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, while ticket prices also fell compared with February.
Authorities will also hold a consumer goods fair in the island province of Hainan, in which the tropical resort destination will be shaped into a free-trade port.
Louis Kuijs, chief economist for the Asia-Pacific region at S&P Global Ratings, said China has quickly moved on from the pandemic, with mobility rising rapidly and confidence up. “We expect a largely organic recovery in China this year, led by consumption and services,” he wrote in a research note revising up his 2023 China growth estimate by 0.7 percentage points to 5.5 per cent.