Amidst the changing tides of 2023, China’s tourism sector has surged forward, marking a robust recovery during the initial half of the year, as revealed by a recent report from the China Tourism Academy (CTA).
As the year commenced, the wanderlust of Chinese citizens has steadily swelled, accompanied by a continuous expansion in their tourism expenditures. Over the span of the first six months, China witnessed an impressive surge of 2.384 billion domestic tourist excursions, showcasing a remarkable year-on-year growth of 63.9 percent, as per the latest data unveiled by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT). This surge translated into a substantial domestic tourism revenue of 2.3 trillion yuan (approximately $320.2 billion), registering a staggering 95.9 percent surge compared to the corresponding period in the prior year.
Evidencing this trend, it is anticipated that China will witness a total of 5.5 billion domestic tourist journeys in 2023, recuperating to over 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels, and contributing to a revenue surpassing 5 trillion yuan, which is more than 80 percent of the pre-COVID benchmarks.
Projections from the CTA allude to a surge in domestic tourist expeditions and a revenue inflow of 1.2 trillion yuan for the months of June, July, and August, collectively accounting for approximately 28.11 percent and 27.46 percent of the total year’s figures.
China’s outbound tourism market has also experienced a resurgence, with the Chinese mainland embarking on 40.37 million outbound journeys in the first half of this year, according to the CTA. The recovery was particularly robust for short-distance outbound travel, with a substantial 93.95 percent of tourists venturing into the Asian region.
Furthermore, the CTA envisions a substantial uptick in China’s inbound tourism market, marked by substantial year-on-year and month-on-month progress.
Dai Bin, the esteemed president of the CTA, advocates for streamlining procedures related to fingerprint collection, a phased reimplementation and extension of visa-on-arrival and visa-free policies, enhanced resumption of international flights, and improved services encompassing payment mechanisms, hotel reservations, and access to scenic locales and retreats, all aimed at rejuvenating inbound tourism.
Dai opines that the tourism realm is currently embracing new avenues for development, centered around technology, culture, art, education, and entrepreneurial innovation.
Within this dynamic sector, novel business models, including health tourism, industrial tourism, and sports tourism, have demonstrated robust growth. Enhanced by cutting-edge technology, immersive performances such as light shows, drone spectacles, and smart cinemas have resonated deeply with tourists.
With these factors in mind, Dai suggests the creation of additional innovative tourism experiences themed around culture, technology, and education. He underscores the significance of educational tours for the youth, health-oriented tourism for the middle-aged and elderly, and serene rural getaways for leisure seekers. Catering to the diverse preferences and financial considerations of tourists, a wide array of tailored tourist services is set to be unveiled.
