China Reopens Group Tours to Select Countries Amid Tourism Boost

November 12, 2023

Travelers wearing face masks with their luggage head to the immigration counter at the departure hall at Lok Ma Chau station following the reopening of crossing border with mainland China, in Hong Kong, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. Travelers crossing between Hong Kong and mainland China, however, are still required to show a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 48 hours, a measure China has protested when imposed by other countries. (AP Photo/Bertha Wang)

Chinese government officials have recently made an announcement regarding the resumption of group tours to several countries, marking a significant development since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a report on Reuters.com, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism disclosed that Chinese citizens are now allowed to participate in group tours to Australia, Britain, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. Notably, Canada remains excluded from this list.

China has adopted a phased approach to approving group tours, and this latest announcement represents the third round of countries included. In January, the Chinese government approved 20 countries, with an additional 40 gaining approval in March.

Countries that are now open to Chinese tourists are eagerly anticipating a boost to their tourism industries. Prior to the pandemic, visitors from mainland China had contributed a significant $255 billion to the global tourism economy in 2019, with group tours making up a substantial portion of this total.

In response to this news, China’s leading travel agency, Trip.com, reported a surge in searches for the newly approved destinations. Approximately 40% of Chinese travelers expressed their willingness to increase their travel expenditures.

In a related development, Marriott International announced its ongoing success in the second quarter of 2023 and revised its full-year profit forecast upward. This positive outlook is attributed to the rebounding demand in China and the increasing revenue per available room.

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