Visa free policies make summer travel accessible for Chinese tourists – Travel And Tour World

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Visa-free policies are set to significantly boost outbound summer travel for Chinese tourists this year.

Data from Chinese online travel agencies reveal a substantial rise in searches for flights and hotels, indicating a strong resurgence in international travel.

According to Trip.com, searches for flights and hotels have increased by about 20 percent year-on-year.

Additionally, the weekly query volume for summer travel from June 10-14 saw a 15 percent rise compared to the same period in 2019.

This surge is largely attributed to recent visa facilitation policies, which have made international travel more accessible for Chinese tourists.

The announcement of extended visa exemptions between China and Malaysia has led to a notable increase in interest.

China extended its visa exemption until the end of 2025, while Malaysia extended its policy until the end of 2026.

Furthermore, Tongcheng Travel highlighted a significant increase in searches related to Australia.

This followed China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ announcement of multiple-entry visas for business, tourism, and family visits. These visas will be valid for up to five years, allowing stays of no more than 90 days each time.

Xu Xiaolei, a marketing manager at a company, noted that Chinese tourists’ growing demand, coupled with the recovery of domestic consumption, has created a strong foundation for an outbound travel boom.

Xu reported that his company’s outbound travel has increased by more than 50 percent year-on-year, with the tourism industry recovering to or exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

The China Tourism Academy projected that China’s outbound travel in 2023 would surpass 87 million trips, with an estimated 130 million trips this year.

Jia Jianqiang, CEO of Beijing-based online agency 6renyou, stated that his company’s outbound travel business has returned to pre-pandemic levels, thanks to resumed international flights and visa exemption policies.

Jia expects a 30 percent year-on-year increase in outbound travel volume this summer.

Chinese airlines are rapidly resuming overseas flights.

Air China plans to operate an average of 201 international and regional flights per day, with the average daily frequency of routes returning to 84 percent of 2019 levels.

China Eastern Airlines aims to operate over 1,240 international and regional flights per week, reaching 90.8 percent of the same period in 2019.

Data from Fly Master indicate that the international civil aviation market is expected to recover to about 80 percent of 2019 levels this summer.

Southeast Asia and East Asia remain popular destinations for Chinese travelers.

Zhang Yi, CEO of a research Institute, emphasized that visa facilitation policies not only make it easier to obtain visas but also draw domestic tourists’ attention to overseas travel destinations, encouraging them to take action and plan their trips.