Skift Take
Remember the grand announcement of the “Chinese are coming” extravaganza in 2023? Turns out it was more of a slow dance than a stampede. Will 2024 finally be the year for the potential great return of the Chinese tourist?
On January 8, 2023, China reopened its borders for travel, ending a three-year closure during the Covid pandemic. Most analysts predicted a surge in travel. It didn’t happen. And one year later, the world is still waiting.
But many in the industry say this will finally be the year. In the words of Michael Jones, co-founder of China Create Consulting, “2023 was the year of China reopening to the world, while 2024 will be the year of consolidating and growing outbound tourism.”
Really, they have no choice but to be optimistic. Let’s remember how important China is to travel.
Prior to the pandemic, China was the world’s largest outbound tourism market. Chinese tourists accounted for a total of 20% of total spending in international tourism. They spent around $277 billion in 2018 and $255 billion in 2019. That’s huge.
“By virtue of being the world’s largest economy, based on purchasing power parity, the financial capacity of
Photo Credit: Will the rebound in travel for Chinese tourists happen in 2024? Freepik">Freepik / Freepik