Swiss German-language radio and television recently reported that although China ended its previous new crown zero epidemic prevention policy, the tourism boom from China is unlikely to be realized for the time being.
In the three years before the relaxation of this policy, traveling to China required a lot of patience and money, requiring two coronavirus tests before departure, applying for a health code from the Chinese embassy or consulate in the local area, and quarantine in a hotel for many days after arriving in China... Today, these are history.
Now everything is different. From January 8, people traveling to China only need to show a negative coronavirus test report once.
Chinese's outbound tourism is once again gaining momentum, but industry insiders have yet to see a wave of tourism from China. "The travel business accelerated in the second quarter," said Jacky Zhang, Managing Director of D-Lux Travel Travel. "I think the real boom will come in the third quarter."
There are many reasons for this.
1. Backlog of expired passports
Millions of Chinese passports have expired. In order to prevent the new coronavirus, for three years, China's exit and entry authorities have only extended or reissued passports under special circumstances. Therefore, for ordinary tourists, the backlog of passports to be renewed and extended is correspondingly large.
Those who wish to travel abroad must apply online for Chinese appointment to renew their passports, many of which are already full. Cathy, a female manager who queued up in front of the passport office to travel abroad, told the German-language Radio and Television reporter in Switzerland: "Many places have already booked passports, it is not easy to make an appointment, the best way is to try the suburban application points," Cathy said.
2. Mandatory testing for passengers from China
Despite the lifting of lockdowns, China's coronavirus crisis is not over. The country is battling a huge wave of infections. As a result, many countries have imposed testing requirements on travelers from China. Morocco has even banned travelers from China entirely. This creates uncertainty for many tourists from China. As a result, Dolly Sang postponed her travel plans until spring. "I hope that by then, foreign policies will be less stringent and a negative coronavirus test report will no longer be needed."
Starting last Sunday, not only China's entry quarantine has completely ended, but the border between Chinese mainland and Hong Kong is also reopening. Chinese citizens do not need a passport to go to the SAR, only a special identity card. Therefore, the city is one of the most popular tourist destinations.
3. Celebrate the New Year at home
On January 22, China celebrates the Lunar New Year. Traditionally, most Chinese spend a week-long Spring Festival holiday at home with their families. Since the start of the pandemic, many people have not participated in family celebrations. Mr. Zeng, a university student from Shanghai, told a reporter from German-language Radio and Television in Switzerland that he was going back to his hometown in Fujian for the Chinese New Year: "We will see our families during the New Year. Let's talk and laugh together. This is more important than going on vacation abroad. ”
The next opportunity to travel long abroad won't come until early October. It was a week of holidays around China's National Day, known as the "National Day Golden Week."
4. Insufficient flight ability
Another reason why the travel boom has been delayed is the lack of flight capacity. Departure flight displays at Shanghai Pudong International Airport showed that there were only about a dozen international flights from Sunday morning to afternoon.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, China has reduced the number of international flights to a minimum. They must first increase their ability to fly again.
Expired passports, travel restrictions, going home for the Chinese New Year and no flights: all this means that China's tourism boom is still a long way from returning to Switzerland.