Destinations known | Asian tourism is in crisis. Will it be Chinese tourists to the rescue?
- As countries begin to open up for home grown tourists, destinations fear that they cannot depend on domestic arrivals alone
- Many are hoping for the return of Chinese travellers, but they are held back by economic concerns, travel bans and geopolitics
In an attempt to boost domestic demand, local governments are expected to offer discounted entry to tourist attractions. During a webinar, Pranoto Prayitno, director of Indonesian tour operator Citra Gilang Tour, said that such a move would “allow tourism businesses to gauge consumers’ purchasing power”. And Indonesia is not alone in exploring this option – subsidy schemes are all the rage across the region.
Really, however, destinations are awaiting the return of their largest market – and in many cases largest spenders – to reignite their sputtering tourism industries. The question is: will the Chinese return? And when?
Clues can be gleaned from observing how movement resumes within the Middle Kingdom, and the early signs are positive. On May 28, The Economist reported that some 115 million Chinese tourists travelled during the Labour Day holiday, from May 1 to 5, “a healthy 60% of last year’s number”. Travel data platform ForwardKeys recently noticed “a domestic phenomenon”, namely an increase in internal flight bookings to commercial centres including Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Sichuan and Yunnan. “All eyes are on Hainan’s duty-free trade zone to see when the ever-important shoppers are set to return,” it reported.
Whether returning domestic confidence will translate into international yearnings is harder to gauge. According to state-run English-language newspaper China Daily, “Chinese travellers are still showing a cautious preference for short-distance trips. Many prefer driving for a few hours to a nearby town for weekends where they may stay for a night – and spend much less than if they go further away and travel by rail or air.”