Summary:

China’s tourism industry has been hit hard in the past three years due to its zero-tolerance approach to Covid-19. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the nation’s tourism industry generated total revenue of RMB 6.63 trillion in 2019. The tourism revenue declined to RMB 2.23 trillion, RMB 2.92 trillion and RMB 2.04 trillion[1] in 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively. However, since theZero-COVID measures were lifted, China witnessed a strong rebound in tourism, especially during the Spring Festival, a time for family reunions and travelling. Around 308 million domestic trips were made during the weeklong holiday.

Highlights:

• According to online agency Trip.com Group, outbound travel also saw a huge upturn. Bangkok, Singapore and other Southeast Asian locations were the most favoured destinations for mainland Chinese travellers. As of January 12, 2023, travel bookings to Southeast Asia during the Spring Festival holiday increased by 1026% compared to the same period last year.
• Local governments seized the chance to boost tourism and consumption. For instance, vouchers with a total value of RMB 30 million have been distributed during the Spring Festival in Jilin to attract tourists to ice-and-snow activities.

Article By LI, Jingwei

Graphic By GE, Yixuan

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[1] Since strict travel restrictions have stopped inbound tourism since February 2020, it was estimated that tourism revenues were completely generated by domestic tourism in 2020, 2021 and 2022.