Before the Covid-19 pandemic, China was the world’s largest source of outbound tourists, who took 170 million trips and contributed $253 billion to the global economy in 2019. This year, Chinese travelers are projected to take 110 million international trips, two-thirds of the 2019 level, according to the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (Cotri), which provides consulting and training on the Chinese outbound market.
The return of Chinese travelers is the economic boost that the global tourism and retail sectors have been missing. According to a sentiment survey compiled in December by data and marketing agency Dragon Trail International, more than half of polled travelers from mainland China indicated that they’d be ready to travel as soon as restrictions are removed, and 32% planned to travel within two years; more than half indicated that they plan to spend more on travel over the next year than they did before Covid.
