Chinese tourists are all charged up for travelling again. Bookings in China for trips abroad during the upcoming May Day holiday point to a continued recovery in travel to Asian countries. However, the numbers remain far off pre-COVID levels with long-haul airfares soaring and insufficient flights available.
Overseas tour bookings for the upcoming holiday, for which many in China are off from April 29 until May 3, are up 157% from the beginning of April, according to Ctrip, the country's largest online travel firm.
But, given airline capacity is yet to fully recover after China kept its borders shut for three years and underlying consumer demand remains weak, the numbers do not compare well with the heyday of Chinese outbound tourism.
In February, over 150,000 Chinese tourists travelled to Thailand, the latest data from the Thai Ministry of Tourism show - a three-year high but still 85% below February 2019 levels.
Trips to Japan and South Korea have only recovered to 5%-10% of February 2019 levels.
Participants discussed the boundary between nature and ecotourism, whether mass visits to unique areas can remain safe, the responsibilities of investors, and how to prepare tourists for visiting specially protected natural areas.
The head of state expressed confidence that the Forum will be held at a high level, and that its results will contribute to the development of tourism in Russia and the expansion of humanitarian and business ties.
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