Chinese tourism to Australia struggles post-pandemic despite visa changes
Despite the lifting of travel bans and the Australian government reissuing group visas to Chinese travelers, the anticipated resurgence of Chinese tourists has been slow. This slow recovery is attributed to several factors, including China's economic conditions, a shift towards short-haul travel, and an increasing preference for destinations in Southeast Asia over long-haul flights to Australia.
Hong Kong businesses prepare to welcome more mainland visitors as individual tourists
Businesses in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) anticipate an increase in individual visitors from mainland China, as more cities join the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS). This expansion is warmly welcomed by Hong Kong's tourism industry, with Cathay Pacific Airways preparing to increase flight capacity to these cities. Flights between Hong Kong and Xi'an are expected to increase to five times per week, providing an additional 800 seats.
China aims to become a world leader in aviation by 2050
The Civil Aviation Administration of China is focusing on solving problems such as low transfer efficiency, lack of international connectivity and the need to improve the convenience of border entry and exit. The country aims to become a world leader in aviation by 2050.
Seoul to take action against illegal 'dumping tours'
Seoul will step up its crackdown on unfair tourism practices — better known as "dumping tours" — to prevent them from hurting the city's reputation as a popular tourist destination amid a surge in inbound tourists. "Dumping tours" refers to package tours offered by travel agencies at unusually low prices, in which they usher tourists to stores and force them to buy overpriced products such as cosmetics, nutritional supplements and duty-free items. The city government undertook a comprehensive survey on Seoul travel packages offered in the Chinese market, considering the significant influx of tourists from China. The city is focusing on travel packages for visitors from China, who take up the largest portion of incoming tourists.
Singapore’s tourism growth to slow amid elevating competition: Insider
Singapore is expected to experience a slowdown in tourism and gaming in 2024 due to escalating competition in the region, says Tradeview Capital Sdn Bhd CEO Ng Zhu Hann. Ng observes that the visa-free policy with China has been expanded to Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, along with the accelerating recovery of regional travel destinations. Singapore’s further growth in 2024 is facing more competition.
Russia reports increased number of foreign tourists
In 2023, there was a 3.5% increase in the number of foreign tourists visiting the Russian Federation compared to 2022, despite the ongoing war with Ukraine. The growth is expected to continue this year, and experts predict that by 2030, the number of foreign tourists will return to the pre-pandemic level of 2019, which was 16 million. Russia's top six markets for inbound tourism are India, China, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
Brunei Minister praises ACC for tourism cooperation
Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin applauded the key role played by ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) in materializing tourism cooperation between China and ASEAN and expressed willingness to deliver more tangible outcomes of cooperation with the support from the ACC.
