Resurgence of China's Outbound Tourism: A Strong Rebound in International Travel

 

China's Outbound Tourism Market Surges with Over 40 Million Trips in First Half of the Year

The outbound tourism market in China has witnessed a remarkable recovery, with over 40.37 million trips made from the Chinese mainland to various international destinations during the first half of this year, as reported by China Tourism Academy's official WeChat account.

The recovery of outbound travel began with short-distance trips, with a substantial 93.9 percent of tourists choosing destinations in Asia, according to the report released on Sunday.

East Asia and Southeast Asia emerged as the top choices for outbound travelers, with East Asia attracting the largest number of tourists from the Chinese mainland, accounting for an impressive 83.92 percent of the total outbound trips.

In the first six months of this year, passenger traffic on international routes rebounded to approximately 23 percent of the levels observed in 2019, indicating a steady recovery in international travel.

Notably, June witnessed a significant surge in international passenger traffic, bouncing back to 41.6 percent compared to the same period in 2019, according to data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Among the favored overseas destinations, Thailand and Japan stood at the forefront, each receiving more than 10 percent of the outbound Chinese tourists.

In the second tier of popular destinations, Singapore and South Korea garnered their share of travelers, with 5 percent and 10 percent of the Chinese mainland's outbound tourists, respectively.

The major sources of outbound tourists were primarily concentrated in economically developed provinces and cities of the Chinese mainland. Key contributors to the outbound tourism market were Guangdong, Shanghai, Beijing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian, as they formed the primary driving force behind the surge in outbound travel.

The revival of China's outbound tourism market indicates a positive trend and highlights the country's gradual return to pre-pandemic travel levels, reflecting growing confidence among Chinese tourists in exploring international destinations once again.