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☆ China loosens its pandemic-era ban on citizens joining group tours abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —China has lifted pandemic-era restrictions on group tours for more countries, including key markets such as the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia, in a potential boon for their tourism industries. Prior to the pandemic, mainland Chinese tourists spent more than any other country’s tourists when abroad, clocking up a combined $255 billion in 2019 with group tours estimated to account for roughly 60% of that. Just how much outbound Chinese tourism will bounce back for the latest group of countries remains to be seen. “The opening of group travel from China to the U.S. is a significant milestone,” said Adam Burke, head of the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board. China has never publicly acknowledged limiting group tours to South Korea.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, –, Fumio Kishida, ”, Don Farrell, Steve Saxon, Adam Burke, “ Organizations: CNN, US Commerce Department, Japanese, Trade, Tourism, Weibo, McKinsey & Co, “, Los Angeles Tourism, Reuters Locations: China, United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Germany, Canada, Thailand, Russia, Cuba, Argentina, Nepal, France, Portugal, Brazil, Xinjiang, Los Angeles, U.S

Travellers walk past an installation in the shape of five stars, at Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, China April 24, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/file photoBEIJING, Aug 10 (Reuters) - China has lifted pandemic-era restrictions on group tours for more countries, including key markets such as the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia in a potential boon for their tourism industries. Just how much outbound Chinese tourism will bounce back for the latest group of countries remains to be seen. Shares in firms in the latest group of countries with large exposure to Chinese travel demand jumped on the news. China has never publicly acknowledged limiting group tours to South Korea.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Fumio Kishida, Don Farrell, Steve Saxon, Casey, Sophie Yu, Joyce Lee, Jamie Freed, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Beijing Daxing International, REUTERS, Japanese, Trade, Tourism, Weibo, McKinsey & Co, South, Grand Korea, Reuters, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Germany, Britain, Canada, Thailand, Russia, Cuba, Argentina, Nepal, France, Portugal, Brazil, Xinjiang, South Korean, U.S, Shanghai, Seoul

☆ Washington says Chinese airlines can increase flights to America
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The US Department of Transportation confirmed to CNN that it had issued an order permitting Chinese airlines to increase their number of weekly round-trip flights to 12. That’s up from the eight weekly round-trip flights currently allowed for Chinese carriers. Currently, three US airlines American Airlines (AAL), Delta Air Lines (DAL) and United Airlines (UAL) fly routes between the two countries. Chinese operators Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines also serve the two markets. Chinese carriers have not been subject to the restrictions, as the relationship between Moscow and Beijing remains intact, leading to calls in the United States and Britain for bans on Chinese flights that use Russian airspace.

Although international travel may not return immediately to pre-pandemic levels, companies, industries and countries that rely on Chinese tourists will get a boost in 2023, according to analysts. Elsewhere in the world, Cambodia, Mauritius, Malaysia, Taiwan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, South Korea and Philippines are also likely to benefit from the return of Chinese tourists, according to research by Capital Economics. Saxon said he expected China’s outbound international travel to fully recover by the year end. “Generally, individuals are pragmatic and countries will welcome Chinese tourists due to their spending power,” he said, adding that countries may remove restrictions quickly when the Covid situation improves in China. “It will take time for international tourism to get going, but it will come rushing back, when it happens.”

[1/2] A Hainan Airlines aircraft is seen at Beijing Capital International Airport, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Beijing, China December 27, 2022. About 62% of tickets to and from China were sold by Chinese carriers and 38% by foreign carriers in 2019, ForwardKeys data shows, reflecting the strong outbound market dominating traffic flows. "Foreign airlines don't have that flexibility and it will be hard for them to forecast and project how fast demand returns on their China routes," he added. Many foreign carriers also retired large numbers of widebody planes during the pandemic and have struggled to add capacity even before China opened. TIMING OF REBOUNDThe Chinese travel industry had expected a border opening around March and was not prepared for the Jan. 8 date, according to a research note from Tianfeng Securities.

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