Chinese visitors to Japan to fully recover in 2025 (in Chinese)
Japan reported 2.44 million inbound visitors in November this year, a slight decrease compared with November 2022. Tourist arrivals from mainland China recovered only to a bit more than 30% of the 2019 levels. Mizuho Research & Technologies said the Chinese visitor arrivals to Japan will not fully recover to the 2019 levels until mid-2025.
Tourism Australia names general manager for China market (in Chinese)
Tourism Australia announced the appointment of Nick Henderson as its General Manager for China. Henderson will take up his new position in January 2024, based in Shanghai. He will report to Andrew Hogg, the Executive General Manager for Eastern Hemisphere Markets and International Airline Business at Tourism Australia. The tourism board is working closely with partners to accelerate the resumption of flights, looking forward to welcoming Chinese tourists back to Australia.
Accor opens first Mondrian hotel in Greater China
Accor and Ennismore launched Mondrian Hong Kong, the first Mondrian hotel in Greater China, on December 18. The hotel features 324 rooms, including 12 two-bay suites, located in Tsim Sha Tsui, with design elements reflecting Hong Kong's history and culture, offering stunning views of Victoria Harbour.
Attracting more overnight visitors and boosting their spending in Hong Kong will be among the top priorities for the city government, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said as he briefed mainland Chinese ministries on the financial hub’s development. Lee on Tuesday told a senior mainland official that the development of high-quality visitor experiences was a main focus for the city.
Cathay Pacific more than triples its passenger volume last month
Cathay Pacific transported a total of around 1.63 million passengers last month, reflecting a notable increase of 210 percent compared to November 2022. November is typically a slower month for the travel business, but there were some bright spots within the network, including India and Japan routes.
Boeing closer to resuming China 737 MAX deliveries after regulator nod
Boeing has won a key clearance from China's aviation regulator, moving it a step closer to resuming deliveries of 737 MAX aircraft to the country after a more than four-year freeze, trade publication The Air Current said on Wednesday. Individual aircraft deliveries to China that were suspended in 2019 after two deadly crashes still need approval from China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the report said.
Chongqing sees fast inbound growth via visa-free access
The new visa-free policy that took effect on Dec 1 has led to rapid growth of inbound travelers with Chongqing, an inland municipality, seeing about 600 people entering the country through its ports in the first 10 days, a month-on-month increase of nearly 30 percent.
Gulf Air appoints Jin Jiang as sales agent in China
Gulf Air, the Kingdom of Bahrain’s national carrier, has appointed Jin Jiang, the largest travel and hotel conglomerate in China, as its new sales agent in the East Asian country, under an agreement signed at Gulf Air headquarters in Muharraq, Bahrain. The signing of the agreement is a part of Gulf Air’s commitment to strengthen relations with Far East Asia to promote trade, tourism and business opportunities between the countries.
Sanya recognized as exemplar of tourism entrepreneurship and innovation in mainland China
Sanya, a popular seaside destination for tourists on the southern tip of mainland China’s Hainan Island, has been recognized for its entrepreneurial and innovative approach to tourism and its developments in destination tourism in 2023, at the 2023 China Tourism Group Development Forum held in Shanghai in December by the China Tourism Academy (CTA).
