Vietnam is a popular destination for Chinese tourists once the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

With travel restrictions lifted, Chinese people are gradually returning to normal life and resuming travel plans. Last weekend, many...People in China have started gathering.Enjoy a short break at Bund in Shanghai or Huangshan Mountain Park in eastern Anhui province.

Domestic tourism is ready to make a comeback.

A survey by Trip.com, China's largest online travel company, conducted on 15,000 people in 100 cities across the country at the end of March, showed that 16% responded that they were willing to travel again in May during the Golden Week holiday, which lasts for 5 days. The vast majority of respondents preferred domestic travel to destinations such as Yunnan, Hainan, and Shanghai. These are the top three favorite destinations for domestic tourists.

"China is recovering well. Wuhan has lifted its lockdown, but at the same time, the whole world is still fighting against Covid-19. We see May as a suitable time for domestic travel because many countries still have their borders closed," said Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com.

This is good news for Chinese tourism but a disappointment for global tourism, as the world is still battling the virus and many travel agencies, hotels, shops, and tour guides around the world rely on Chinese tourists, who are the biggest and most active spenders. However, given the current force majeure situation, the global tourism industry can hardly expect much more.

In 2018, China had 150 million outbound tourists, spending over $277 billion. "For many countries, Chinese tourists are the largest source of outbound visitors. Domestic tourism is the first step towards reviving this industry. We are optimistic about the future of tourism," Sun added.

Many Lunar New Year holiday plans were disrupted by the Covid-19 outbreak in the country in January, forcing many people to stay home. Therefore, traveling again after the pandemic will be the first thing Chinese people think about. According to Trip.com, 61% of Chinese travelers surveyed said they were ready to travel again in August.

A smaller survey of 1,000 people across China conducted by the international consulting firm Oliver Wyman further reinforced this view. 77% of those surveyed chose domestic travel, because "the situation abroad remains serious."

The pandemic, which swept across Europe and the US, brought air travel to a standstill, preventing Chinese people from traveling abroad and forcing them to stay and travel domestically. Furthermore, China boasts a total of 55 UNESCO World Heritage sites and numerous natural wonders such as Zhangjiajie, the Li River in Guilin, the Tiger Gorge in Yunnan, and the Great Wall, making domestic tourism a strong attraction for Chinese people.

Wolfgang Georg Arlt, founder of the Overseas Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), said that more than 90% of Chinese tourists traveled domestically before Covid-19.

Vietnam is one of the chosen destinations.

Following the recovery of domestic tourism, surveys indicate that it will only take a short time before Chinese people begin choosing overseas travel. When researching post-pandemic overseas travel, COTRI predicts that Chinese people will choose nearby destinations in Asia such as Thailand, South Korea, and Vietnam; while Europe, Australia, and especially the US will take longer to welcome them back. Approximately 14% of survey participants said they were interested in European tours, but their plans depend on the travel policies and restrictions imposed by various countries.

"At COTRI, we are studying 10% of Chinese tourists with passports to see how their travel behavior will change after the pandemic. Initially, they will travel domestically, then to neighboring regions. However, that depends on several factors such as which destinations will allow Chinese tourists to enter and which places are considered safe," emphasized Wolfgang Georg Arlt.

"Overseas travel will quickly be embraced by Chinese people once the pandemic is under control, borders reopen, and visas are issued again," shared the CEO of Trip.com.

In 2019, data from the China Academy of Tourism showed that China had 6 billion domestic tourist visits, compared to 155 million outbound trips.

My Tong