Boom in international travel expected for three-day New Year holiday
China is expected to see an average of 1.56 million inbound and outbound passenger trips a day during this weekend's three-day New Year holiday, more than five times as many as last year, when international travel was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Immigration Administration said on Thursday. The number is 90 percent of that in 2019.
Chinese to skip flying overseas in 2024 as domestic travel booms
China’s aviation market is picking up again as the pandemic trauma fades, relations with other countries improve and international routes expand. But many analysts are concerned about the outlook for 2024. Appetite for international travel is limited despite steps by China to get people flying overseas, like resuming group tours. A sluggish economy, weaker currency and high ticket prices are among the factors keeping people at home.
China taps into booming potential of senior tourism market
Seniors are an increasingly active group in China's tourism industry, taking tourist trains to the mountains to escape the summer heat and seeking warmth and sunshine in the south during winter. By the end of 2025, the China Tourism Academy (CTA) predicts there will be over 100 million active older travelers in China. As a result, the silver tourism market is expected to hit 1 trillion yuan ($140 billion) by then.
Cathay Pacific cancels some year-end flights over pilot illness
Cathay Pacific on Friday said it is canceling a small number of flights as some of its pilots are under the weather. The flagship carrier said more pilots than expected have been absent this month due to seasonal illness, and so it has been cutting a small number of passenger flights, less than one percent of the total, since mid-December.
Boeing says Chinese airlines resumed operating all 737 MAXs in 2023
All Boeing 737 MAX jets operated by Chinese carriers are back in service at the end of 2023, the U.S. planemaker's China head said on Friday, nearly a year after they started returning following a global grounding in 2019. The best-selling Boeing model was grounded after fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. The MAX returned to service around the world starting in late 2020 after modifications to the aircraft and pilot training, but Chinese airlines started to fly them again only in January 2023.
Shanghai Disney Resort, eHi Car Services announce multi-year deal
Shanghai Disney Resort and eHi Car Services, a car services provider in the local travel market, announced that the two companies have entered into a multi-year resort alliance, introducing eHi Car Services as the official car rental sponsor of Shanghai Disney Resort. Under this new alliance, eHi Car Services is set to bring the convenience of its services to guests driving to the magic of Shanghai Disney Resort.
Overseas Chinese Town sells Shanghai Bulgari Hotel for $344 million
State-owned mainland developer Overseas Chinese Town (OCT) has agreed to sell the Bulgari Hotel in Shanghai, as the indebted builder offloads an unprofitable project amidst plummeting revenues and a slow recovery in China’s tourism market.
Building materials maker Jiangsu Jinfeng Cement Group won the rights to the luxury hostelry at the minimum price of RMB 2.43 billion (USD 344 million) in a public tender for the property, which has failed to turn a profit since opening in 2018, according to a stock exchange filing on Tuesday.
Hyatt Centric Gaoxin Xi’an opens doors
Hyatt Hotels has announced today the opening of Hyatt Centric Gaoxin Xi’an, a lifestyle hotel located in the Xi’an Hi-Tech Zone. Many of Xi’an’s legendary historical landmarks are a short drive away, including UNESCO World Heritage sites built during the city’s ancient reign as the capital of China’s Tang Dynasty.
Influx of Chinese tourists set to boost Thailand hotel earnings in 2024
Chinese tourist arrivals are staging a phenomenal comeback, promising a lucrative windfall for Thailand's hotels just in time for the high season. Analysts predict this tourist surge to continue its upward trajectory, creating an economic boom for the hotel industry. According to Boonyakorn Amornsank, an analyst with Maybank Kim Eng Securities (Thailand), average daily arrivals from China in the first half of the month accelerated to 47% of the daily average in the same period of 2019.
Jetstar Asia launches first Singapore-Wuxi flight
Jetstar Asia's inaugural flight from Singapore to Wuxi, 3K833, took off from Changi Airport, marking the start of the Singapore low-cost carrier's second direct route to mainland China. The flight to Wuxi's Sunan Shuofang International Airport makes Jetstar Asia the only airline to fly from Singapore to the historically, culturally, and commercially important city in China's southern Jiangsu province.
China ice-snow tourism promotion season launched in Pakistan
The 2024 China Ice & Snow Tourism Overseas Promotion Season has been launched in Pakistan by China Cultural Center in collaboration with Culture Office of the Embassy of China in Pakistan. The event was launched in Pakistan in December 2023 and will go through the end of January 2024. It aims to help Pakistani audiences and netizens worldwide have a deeper appreciation for China’s ice and snow culture and tourism, which will encourage them to visit China and experience this beauty by themselves.
Southern Chinese city bordering Vietnam connected to rail network
Dongxing, a city on the China-Vietnam border in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, was linked to China's national railway network on Wednesday with the opening of a new rail line. The new railway linking Dongxing to Fangchenggang stretches 47 km long and has a designed speed of 200 km per hour. The railway is a dual-purpose line that handles both passenger and freight transportation.
Shenzhen promotes industrial tourism
The city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province is aiming to unlock the potential of its industrial tourism by introducing new tourist routes that enable visitors to explore the city's industrial history and advancements. These tourist routes encompass tech companies such as Dji, BYD, Tencent and Huawei, as well as cultural zones that were once industrial sites. Shenzhen contributes to 12.5 percent of the world's new energy vehicles, 40 percent of boarding bridges and 70 percent of civilian drones.
