The National Immigration Administration (NIA) in China has forecasted a significant surge in travel during the 2024 New Year holiday, with an expected average of 1.56 million daily inbound and outbound passenger trips.
According to the local media, this represents a five-fold increase compared to the previous year and can impact the tourism industry in China, which experienced a hit in the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The administration said that the figure is expected to represent 90 percent of 2019 levels, VisaGuide.World reports.
The increase is attributed to several factors, including the resumption of flights, visa-free entry for Chinese citizens granted by countries such as Thailand and Malaysia, and China’s unilateral visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from countries including France and Germany.
Major airports across the country are expected to experience a steady rise in passenger flows. The Beijing Capital International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport can witness a daily average of 33,000, 68,000, and 34,000 trips, respectively.
The Administration also noted that the passenger traffic between Guangdong Province and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions will increase. The ports of Gongbei, Luohu, and Futian are expected to handle a daily average of 320,000, 190,000, and 180,000 trips, respectively.
According to China Briefing, it is forecasted that the total revenue from domestic tourism is expected to exceed approximately $580.96 billion, marking an impressive 96 percent growth. Several driving forces contribute to this revival in China’s tourism landscape, including the easing of travel restrictions, an increase in disposable income among Chinese consumers and
the growing popularity of domestic tourism.
Data from the World Tourism Alliance’s reports, reveal that the outbound tourism sentiment index reached 28 percent in the first half of 2023, marking a 21-point increase from the same period in 2019. The outbound tourism market has displayed a gradual increase, emphasizing a steady increase rather than an abrupt rebound.
The top ten outbound travel destinations for the first half of the year were Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, Thailand, France, South Korea, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and Singapore.
However, domestic tourism in the first half of the year has improved, with $318 billion generated which is $155 billion more than in the previous year. Urban residents’ expenditures on travel accounted for a year-on-year surge of 108.9 percent, while rural residents’ travel spending grew by 41.5 percent.
