Domestic tourism has recovered since the end of the pandemic as Chinese people prefer to holiday at home.
Tourists visit the Confucius Temple Scenic Area in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, October 3, 2023. Credit: Costfoto/NurPhoto via AP Images
As people around the world rushed to vacation abroad following the pandemic, the term “revenge travel” became widely used. Despite three years of harsh lockdowns, China is proving an exception to this global ‘vengeance’ phenomenon.
Countries hoping that China’s reopening would send hordes of Chinese visitors — once among the world’s biggest spenders — back to their hotels and shops have been left sorely disappointed. While travel barriers are gradually easing, many Chinese holidaymakers are turning to cheaper, trendier domestic destinations instead. The country’s sluggish economic recovery is further delaying their return to the international market.
“Throughout the rest of the world, people thought the moment the border opened, probably everyone would want to jump on a plane right away,” says Imke Wouters, a Hong Kong-based partner at consultancy Oliver Wyman. “That’s just not what is happening.”
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