Will China’s reopening mark a shift towards sustainable tourism in Southeast Asia?
- Travel from China has picked up recently, with an apparent silver lining for the planet in there being more demand for eco-friendly experiences, experts say
- Large Chinese tour groups are becoming less common, and a new class of travellers instead wants nature photography, camping and homestays
The market went into virtual hibernation during three years of lockdowns, when people were mostly travelling to domestic destinations or not travelling at all.
While a full return to pre-pandemic travel abroad is expected only by the end of 2023 or early next year, a silver lining is the shift to increased demand for experiences that do less harm to the planet.
I am very optimistic that China will become the number one source market [for tourists] again
“I am very optimistic that China will become the number one source market again and the recovery in travel will be sustainable and meaningful,” said Wolfgang Georg Arlt, CEO of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute in Germany’s Hamburg, which has helped worldwide destinations and firms attract Chinese tourists for 20 years.
Arlt, who recently retired from a tenure at a German university, gives guest lectures abroad, including at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou.