2/6/23: East/West China Updates

Outbound group tourism resumes today in China. With the Lunar New Year comes a great deal of optimism in China. The Year of the Rabbit is predicted to be a year of hope. In Chinese culture, the rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace and prosperity. More on outbound tourism developments?as well as China travel and tourism market updates below.

HEADLINES

• Demand surges as resumption of outbound tour groups nears
• China’s mainland to fully resume travel with Hong Kong, Macao on Feb 6
• Hong Kong to give away 500,000 free airline tickets to boost tourism, business and investment?
• Italy eases anti-COVID measures for travelers from China
• China's overall economy to improve in 2023

INT’L FLIGHTS’ RESUMING

• Delta to resume direct to Shanghai starting March 3, the services include Seattle and Detroit
• British Airways, Virgin to fly daily from UK to China again

INDUSTRY UPDATE

Chinese travel agencies are preparing for the resumption of outbound group tour services starting from Feb 6, with the first batch of tourists set out for countries including Thailand and Laos. Industry insiders expect a significant increase in outbound tours and travelers starting from March, and the influx of Chinese tourists is expected to inject new momentum into the global economic recovery, especially in countries in Southeast Asia.