U.S. Tour Operators Could Face a Long Wait for the Large-Scale Return of Chinese Travelers
Photo Credit: A group of visitors from China enjoying winter in Alaska Skylar Travel
Skift Take
Although the U.S. travel industry anxiously awaits the return of Chinese visitors, the timing will largely depend on when Beijing decides to ease outbound travel restrictions.
U.S. tour operators have been frantically making numerous preparations to be ready to welcome overseas guests ever since the White House announced last month the country would reopen to fully vaccinated international air travelers.
And those preparations went into overdrive after the Biden administration unveiled November 8 as the reopening date.
But while numerous travel companies have enjoyed a surge in bookings in recent weeks, U.S. tour operators — a sector of the travel industry hard hit by 18 months of travel restrictions due to their heavy reliance on overseas guests — face another critical issue. It's unlikely they will be welcoming the immediate return of large numbers of travelers from one of the country's most lucrative markets, China. There are numerous hurdles that must be overcome before many prospective Chinese visitors can arrive in the U.S.
On the domestic travel front, a Chinese health official on Sunday urged new limits on cro
