China’s Golden Week Travel Signals a Revival. Plus, Why U.S. Travel Is Still Lagging
Photo Credit: Fliggy reported that bookings to Turkey, Morocco, Georgia, Egypt and Kazakhstan have quadrupled compared to the previous year. Pexels / Rachel Claire
Skift Take
China’s outbound travel is coming back, driven by favorable visa policies, increased airline capacity, and a growing interest in diverse global destinations. However, challenges remain, particularly in travel to the U.S.
In a rebound of international travel, over 1.5 million Chinese citizens embarked on outbound trips during the recent Golden Week holiday, marketing technology firm China Trading Desk told Skift.
This surge points to a significant revival in global travel following the easing of pandemic-related restrictions.
The relaxation of visa policies between China and several countries has played a crucial role in this uptick. During the Golden Week in late April and early May, the growth rate of inbound and outbound bookings outpaced domestic tourism, Trip.com Group told Skift.
Popular Destinations and Emerging TrendsAccording to data from Trip.com Group, Chinese tourists visited nearly 200 countries and over 3,000 towns worldwide during the Golden Week period.
Thailand emerged as the top destination, with over 215,000 Chinese tourists between April 27 and May 4, according to China Trading Desk’s data. Factors such as visa-free entry offer by Th
