Page 380 - 2021 White Paper
P. 380
1 White Paper on the Business Environment in China
2.9 Travel and Tourism
Key Take-Aways the Golden Week. China's tourism turnaround has
shown the world that Chinese still have enough
• China’s domestic tourism revenue is money to travel and also are not afraid to be in
expected to fall by 52% to 2.76 trillion RMB crowded environments like railway stations or
(US$394 billion) in 2020 as the industry continues national parks. Restrictions on travel introduced
to reel from the impact of the coronavirus crisis. in response to the COVID-19 pandemic continue
to hit global tourism hard, with latest data from
• Travelers from Mainland China were the World Tourism Organization showing a 70%
responsible for more than a million border fall in international arrivals for the first eight
crossings in 2020, with the Special Administrative months of 2020. The drop represents 700 million
Region Macau as main destination. fewer arrivals compared to the same period last
year and translates into a loss of US$730 billion in
• Due to the travel bans almost no cross- export revenues from international tourism, which
border trips were made during the Dragon Boat is more than eight times the loss experienced on
Festival holiday in 2020. the back of the global economic and financial
crisis a decade ago. The tourism organization
• The Chinese aviation industry will need an numbers over the first eight months of 2020 still
additional 8,600 new aircraft within two decades include Chinese overseas travel in January, when
according to aircraft. Such demand would be the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative
worth US$1.4 trillion based on list prices. regions each received more than 2 million arrivals
from the Chinese mainland and more than 1
• Domestic tourism figures offer post- million for Thailand. As Chinese tourists were
pandemic hopes but vaccine still crucial. responsible for one out of eight international trips
in 2019, Chinese outbound tourism will be a major
Covid-19 Repercussions force in the recovery of the international tourism
market, especially for many destinations that do
The strong rebound of China's domestic travel not have a major domestic market and rely heavily
during the country's annual Golden Week holiday on Chinese visitors. In the short and medium
has given international destinations hope that term, outgoing leisure travel will most likely be
Chinese tourists are still willing to travel and can discouraged as the pandemic is still at dangerous
be a major driver for the recovery of pandemic- levels in many regions around the world, but in
hit global tourism, but experts warn this might not the long run, it is clear that Chinese tourists will
occur until a COVID-19 vaccine is widespread. This contribute to international tourism globally. In a
is clearly a strong sign that Chinese people are bid to help revive its tourism industry, Thailand
very keen to travel again and to engage in tourism has rolled out a special tourist visa scheme, which
activities. Tourism and travel have become saw the arrival of two batches of Chinese visitors,
inelastic activity and expenditure for the Chinese after borders were closed to stem the spread of
middle class and it is one of the 'luxuries' and a COVID-19 since March. Hong Kong and Singapore
status symbol. China is getting out of the pandemic opened an "air travel bubble", which allows people
faster than other countries around the world, to travel between the two Asian economies
which dealt with the pandemic differently, and as without requiring restrictive quarantine measures
a result domestic tourism removed faster during (Wang).
380
2.9 Travel and Tourism
Key Take-Aways the Golden Week. China's tourism turnaround has
shown the world that Chinese still have enough
• China’s domestic tourism revenue is money to travel and also are not afraid to be in
expected to fall by 52% to 2.76 trillion RMB crowded environments like railway stations or
(US$394 billion) in 2020 as the industry continues national parks. Restrictions on travel introduced
to reel from the impact of the coronavirus crisis. in response to the COVID-19 pandemic continue
to hit global tourism hard, with latest data from
• Travelers from Mainland China were the World Tourism Organization showing a 70%
responsible for more than a million border fall in international arrivals for the first eight
crossings in 2020, with the Special Administrative months of 2020. The drop represents 700 million
Region Macau as main destination. fewer arrivals compared to the same period last
year and translates into a loss of US$730 billion in
• Due to the travel bans almost no cross- export revenues from international tourism, which
border trips were made during the Dragon Boat is more than eight times the loss experienced on
Festival holiday in 2020. the back of the global economic and financial
crisis a decade ago. The tourism organization
• The Chinese aviation industry will need an numbers over the first eight months of 2020 still
additional 8,600 new aircraft within two decades include Chinese overseas travel in January, when
according to aircraft. Such demand would be the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative
worth US$1.4 trillion based on list prices. regions each received more than 2 million arrivals
from the Chinese mainland and more than 1
• Domestic tourism figures offer post- million for Thailand. As Chinese tourists were
pandemic hopes but vaccine still crucial. responsible for one out of eight international trips
in 2019, Chinese outbound tourism will be a major
Covid-19 Repercussions force in the recovery of the international tourism
market, especially for many destinations that do
The strong rebound of China's domestic travel not have a major domestic market and rely heavily
during the country's annual Golden Week holiday on Chinese visitors. In the short and medium
has given international destinations hope that term, outgoing leisure travel will most likely be
Chinese tourists are still willing to travel and can discouraged as the pandemic is still at dangerous
be a major driver for the recovery of pandemic- levels in many regions around the world, but in
hit global tourism, but experts warn this might not the long run, it is clear that Chinese tourists will
occur until a COVID-19 vaccine is widespread. This contribute to international tourism globally. In a
is clearly a strong sign that Chinese people are bid to help revive its tourism industry, Thailand
very keen to travel again and to engage in tourism has rolled out a special tourist visa scheme, which
activities. Tourism and travel have become saw the arrival of two batches of Chinese visitors,
inelastic activity and expenditure for the Chinese after borders were closed to stem the spread of
middle class and it is one of the 'luxuries' and a COVID-19 since March. Hong Kong and Singapore
status symbol. China is getting out of the pandemic opened an "air travel bubble", which allows people
faster than other countries around the world, to travel between the two Asian economies
which dealt with the pandemic differently, and as without requiring restrictive quarantine measures
a result domestic tourism removed faster during (Wang).
380
