US media worries: “We may lose the global dividends brought by China’s restart of outbound travel”

In recent days, the official Weibo posts of the French Embassy in China, Tourism Thailand, Tourism Canada, Tourism Australia, Tourism New Zealand, Tourism Denmark, Tourism Norway, and the Netherlands Tourism Board , Spanish National Tourist Board, Portuguese National Tourist Board, Austrian National Tourist Board, Swiss National Tourist Board, etc. have released messages on Weibo to welcome Chinese tourists to visit.

But at the same time, some countries have tightened their entry policies for passengers departing from China amid the controversy. However, experts from many countries point out that it makes no sense to impose entry restrictions on Chinese tourists. "Hindering consumption potential is certain," Gao Lingyun, a researcher at the Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told a reporter from the Global Times. From an economic perspective, China, as the world's second largest economy, is an important factor in global economic growth. Engine, new epidemic prevention regulations for Chinese tourists issued by some countries will hinder China from releasing its consumption potential to the global market.

Extended reading:

Outbound travel is open, but there are still many obstacles.

The main search users for outbound travel come from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

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On the evening of December 26, the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council issued the "Overall Plan on Implementing "Category B and B Control" for New Coronavirus Infections. Starting from January 8, 2023, "Category B and B control" will be implemented for new coronavirus infections. It is required that outbound travel by Chinese citizens be resumed in an orderly manner based on the international epidemic situation and the service support capabilities of all aspects.

It is proposed to optimize the management of Chinese and foreign personnel exchanges and cancel the nucleic acid testing and centralized isolation of all personnel after entry. Those whose health declaration is normal and there are no abnormalities in routine quarantine at customs ports can be released into the public. The "Five Ones" and passenger load factor restrictions and other international passenger flight quantity control measures will be cancelled.

On December 27, the National Immigration Administration issued an announcement that the National Immigration Administration will optimize immigration management policies and measures starting from January 8, 2023. The most important one is to resume in an orderly manner the acceptance and approval of ordinary passport applications for Chinese citizens traveling abroad and visiting friends, and to resume the processing of visas for mainland residents traveling to Hong Kong for tourism and business.

The people are very happy and can finally travel abroad.

Waving goodbye to the cold winter of 2022, where will your first stop be in 2023?

The search volume skyrocketed instantly

After the news of "Class B B Pipe" was released, the search volume of popular overseas destinations on many travel platforms increased. Data from major travel platforms show that within a short period of time after the news was released, instant searches for international air tickets and searches for popular overseas destinations surged 8-10 times year-on-year.

An obvious phenomenon has appeared on all major platforms, that is, the search volume for outbound air tickets, overseas hotels and inbound flights have all reached the peak in three years.

The search popularity of many outbound destinations that were popular before the epidemic began to increase significantly during the Spring Festival of the Year of the Tiger in 2023. Ctrip data shows that Macau, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and the United Kingdom have become the top ten destinations with the fastest growing search volume. At the same time, the search volume related to outbound group tour products during the Spring Festival has also begun to surge, with the highest number soaring 6 times.

Tongcheng Travel Platform data shows that after the news was released, the instantaneous search volume for international air tickets on all platforms increased by 850%; the instantaneous search volume for visas increased by 10 times. The top three overseas destinations that Chinese tourists pay most attention to are: Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. The most searched popular destinations for outbound flights are Bangkok, Tokyo, Seoul, Los Angeles and Singapore. The main search users for outbound travel come from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Industry analysts pointed out that the adjustment of entry and exit policies will help promote the orderly resumption of international flights, and the number of inbound and outbound passengers will rebound in the short term. As the supply and demand relationship for inbound and outbound air tickets gradually normalizes, the overall price of international air tickets will gradually decrease. Compared with the average price before the epidemic, international air ticket prices are still at a high level, and it will still take some time for international flights as a whole to return to normal levels. For routes with a large number of flights to Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia, ticket prices may rise. With the implementation of policies and the recovery of airline operating capabilities, the summer of 2023 may usher in a peak inbound and outbound traffic.

Policies vary greatly from country to country

The world needs Chinese tourists.

On the afternoon of December 27, when the Immigration Administration issued an announcement, the French Embassy in China updated its official Weibo to welcome Chinese tourists to France.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that starting from December 30, Japan will strengthen anti-epidemic measures for entry from China. Japan will implement entry testing for all personnel traveling to Japan from mainland China and those who have been to China within 7 days.

Kishida Fumio said that people who test positive for the new crown and have symptoms need to be quarantined for 7 days. Asymptomatic people are quarantined for 5 days. Accommodation, meals and other expenses during the quarantine period will be borne by Japan's national funds and individuals do not need to pay.

Currently, the Japanese government limits the airports that accept arrivals from China to Tokyo Narita International Airport, Tokyo Haneda International Airport, Osaka Kansai International Airport and Nagoya Chubu International Airport. The addition of new routes and flights between China and Japan will not be approved in the near future.

The Japanese government also stated that it will conduct strict analysis on the samples of all immigrants from China who are confirmed to be positive to prevent the introduction of new mutant viruses.

It must be emphasized that this temporary emergency control measure by the Japanese government not only targets Chinese people, but also targets Japanese and other foreigners in China.

Xu Jingbo, president of Japan Asia News Agency, posted on his public account "Jingshuo Japan" that no matter what visa you hold, you must prepare proof of completion of the three-shot vaccine before traveling to Japan. Or a 72-hour nucleic acid test negative report produced by a medical institution. You can choose one of the two. However, both the certificate and the test report must be in English or Japanese. Pure Chinese is not acceptable.

In addition, after arriving at the Japanese airport, I was asked by the Japanese quarantine department to line up for a nucleic acid test, usually by spitting into a small cup. After vomiting, you need to enter the dedicated hall and sit quietly to wait for the results. From getting off the plane to getting the nucleic acid test results, it usually takes 3-4 hours to wait.

Once tested positive, Japanese quarantine personnel will arrange to be quarantined at a government-designated quarantine hotel near the airport. If you need to buy items during the quarantine period, you must pay in cash. Therefore, you need to prepare some Japanese yen cash in advance.

After the quarantine is completed, the quarantine department will send you back to the airport, and then you are free to leave and continue your journey to Japan.

In addition to Japan, many countries have recently begun to require nucleic acid tests for travelers from China.

India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently announced that international travelers from mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and South Korea must carry RT-PCR test reports when traveling to India and are found to have symptoms upon arrival in India Or people who test positive for COVID-19 will be quarantined.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency included China in the list of "key countries for quarantine inspection" on December 16.

ViaggiareSicuri, the website of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, reported that starting from December 24, Milan Malpensa Airport will conduct entry new coronavirus nucleic acid tests for all passengers from China. This policy is temporarily implemented until January 30, 2023. After expiration, whether to continue will be re-evaluated.

No matter how the policies of various countries change, it is clear that Chinese people’s enthusiasm for outbound travel cannot be restrained.

Ctrip visa data shows that since December 7, the number of overseas visa applications has increased more than 12 times year-on-year, and visa applications in Singapore, Japan, South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and other countries are more popular.

Many embassies abroad have adjusted their prevention and control measures for visits to China

On December 27, the Foreign Affairs Group of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council in response to the new coronavirus infection epidemic issued the "Interim Regulation on the Exchange of Chinese and Foreign Personnel" "Notice on Measures", which issued measures in six aspects: remote testing, entry quarantine, international passenger flights, visas to China, port operations, and inbound and outbound tourism.

At the remote testing level, starting from January 8, 2023, people coming to China will undergo a nucleic acid test 48 hours before departure. Those with negative results can come to China without applying to our embassies and consulates abroad. Health code, fill in the result into the customs health declaration card. If tested positive, relevant personnel should wait until they turn negative before coming to China.

After the notice was issued, according to incomplete statistics, more than 20 Chinese embassies abroad issued new notices to adjust prevention and control measures for visits to China.

The Chinese Embassy in the United States issued the "Instructions on Adjustments to Remote Prevention and Control Measures for Passengers from the United States to China". Starting from January 8, 2023, the Chinese government will implement Category B B management for new coronavirus infections. Temporary measures for personnel exchanges between China and foreign countries will be implemented later. According to relevant notification requirements, passengers departing from the United States for China still need to take a nucleic acid test 48 hours before departure. Those with negative results can travel to China. If tested positive, relevant personnel must wait until they turn negative before traveling to China. Passengers traveling to China do not need to apply for a health code from the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in the United States before traveling. Passengers going to China are required to fill in the nucleic acid test results within 48 hours before boarding into the People's Republic of China and the Exit/Entry Health Declaration Card.

In addition, nucleic acid testing will no longer be implemented for all employees after entry. Those whose health declaration at the customs is normal and there are no abnormalities in routine quarantine at the customs port can enter the public. Persons with abnormal health declarations or symptoms such as fever will be subject to antigen testing by the customs. Those whose results are positive can adopt home, residential isolation or self-care. Those whose results are negative will be subject to routine quarantine by the customs in accordance with laws and regulations.

The Chinese Embassy in Japan issued the "Notice on Optimizing and Adjusting Pre-Travel Testing Measures for Travel to China". Starting from January 8, 2023, passengers traveling to China from Japan must complete the test within 48 hours before boarding. Those who take a nucleic acid test and the test result is negative can travel to China, and must make a health declaration to Chinese Customs in advance. There is no need to apply for a health code. Those who test positive need to travel to China after turning negative.

Other embassies have made similar provisions.