Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia are among the top destinations for Chinese travellers looking for a trip abroad after the abolition of three years of zero-Covid restrictions . Chinese travel booking platform Ctrip said on Sunday that applications via its site for tourist visas for Singapore had risen “to over 30 times since December 27”. Requests for Malaysian tourist visas had also doubled already this month compared with December, the company said, adding that almost half of hotel bookings for Chinese tourists going to Thailand were for stays of more than 20 days. Malaysian Association of Tours and Travel Agents president Datuk Tan Kok Liang told English-language daily The Star that inquiries from China tourists, especially from students and corporate organisers, had “more than doubled compared to before the reopening of China’s borders”. China was the world’s most important source of international travellers before the pandemic hit and although the global industry might not resume pre-Covid levels soon, Chinese tourists are expected to give it a boost this year. But some countries, including a number in Europe , the United States, Britain, Morocco, Canada, Australia, Japan and South Korea, have imposed various restrictions on travellers from China, from Covid tests before and upon arrival to outright entry bans. Thailand is also requiring visitors from some countries – including China – to buy Covid insurance. Nevertheless, Thailand can expect an additional 5 million passengers from China this year – up from almost none last year, according to a report from Japanese financial firm Nomura. “The [Tourism Authority of Thailand] recently raised its full-year target to 25 million inbound tourist arrivals, driven by the earlier than expected China reopening after Beijing’s recent border rules relaxation,” the report said, adding that the total passenger count would likely hit 78 per cent of pre-Covid levels. A restaurant owner in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou said she and her family were planning short-haul trips to places such as Thailand and Japan, but not until after the Lunar New Year. “The Covid situation right now in China is still a concern,” she said. “So we would like to wait a bit to do the trips in safer circumstances.” A Shanghai-based computer chip designer, who would only identify himself by his surname Ding, said he was looking forward to a long holiday in Australia during the Lunar New Year to catch part of the Australian Open tennis tournament. Ding, who has just recovered from a bout of Covid, said it was a good chance to relax after being trapped in lockdowns for a long time. “I want to feel the fresh air there,” he said. “And I plan to spend around 50,000 to 100,000 yuan (US$7,320-$14,640) in this trip.” Jing Liu, chief economist for Greater China at HSBC, said there were expectations of “strong pent-up demand for activities and consumption, which previously faced restrictions”.
