High-Quality Tourism Development Post-COVID: A Snapshot into China’s Rebound of Domestic Travel
The Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) is pleased to support the PATA Annual Summit (vPAS 2021). As long-term partners, GTEF and PATA complement each other’s efforts to foster greater cooperation across all sectors of the travel industry. Reflect, Reconnect, Revive, the theme of PAS 2021 is a great opportunity for stakeholders in the tourism industry to come together to discuss how to best move forward to revitalize global tourism.
An interesting case to consider when discussing tourism’s recovery, is the case of China. Due to intensified hygiene and health protocols, innovations in a QR health code, and a clear communication system, China was one of the first destinations to come out of lockdowns, reopen businesses, stores, and restaurants. This led to a restoration of traveller confidence and has meant a resurgence in domestic travel.
In the recent Easter and Qingming Festival Holiday during the first weekend of April 2021, 102 million domestic trips were made throughout China, a year-on-year increase of 144.6%, returning to 94.5% of the same period prior to the pandemic. This resulted in a domestic tourism revenue of 27.168 billion RMB ($4.146 USD), a year-on-year increase of 228.9%, returning to 56.7% of the same period prior to the pandemic.[1]
Many experts predict the upcoming May 1 Golden Week will be more exemplary of the destination’s domestic tourism market rebound since the Easter Qingming Festival Weekend was only three days and majority of trips were short-distanced, outdoors, and hiking related, hence not the prime context for expenditure and consumption.[2]
Macao, China, home-base of the GTEF, is one of the prime destinations where experts are already seeing a great increase of consumption for the upcoming May 1 Golden Week. According to Trip.com’s data as of April 8, 2021, the total number of bookings for Macao related tourism products for the Golden Week has grown by 20% compared to that of 2019 and has doubled when compared to the same period of April.[3] Moreover, searches for Macao-bound flights increased by 140% when compared to the same period in April. [4]
While the domestic tourism market is a great example of how China’s tourism economy is stepping towards post-pandemic recovery, the bigger context and increasingly prevalent conversation and implementation is its vision for ‘high-quality development’. First coming into light when President Xi Jinping noted at the 19th CPC National Congress, the ‘high-quality development’ is widely believed to define China’s new phase of development with a focus on innovation, coordination, and sustainability with benefits not only for China but for the entire world.[5]
In the context of tourism, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has issued guidance under the overall ‘high-quality development’ umbrella, ranging from strengthening the integration between ‘internet + tourism’ for establishing smart tourism destinations as well as leveraging culture and tourism to promote poverty alleviation for the balanced development between rural and urban areas.[6]
The upcoming GTEF in November 2021 in Macao, China will celebrate its landmark 10th anniversary and will continue to explore the topic of global tourism’s high-quality development and will feature Partner Country, Italy, and Featured Chinese City, Shanghai.
To learn more: https://gte-forum.com/en/homepage/
[1] “Qingming Festival Holiday: Domestic Trips 102 Million, Domestic Tourism Revenue 27.168 billion RMB,” Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, April 5, 2021, https://www.mct.gov.cn/whzx/whyw/202104/t20210405_923536.htm.
[2] “Macao Travel Related Bookings Has Surpassed pre-Pandemic, ‘the Hottest May 1 Golden Week’ is on the Horizons,” Trip.com Blackboard News, April 8, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ZGxjPfw-BRuLR5XQzjvTdA.
[3] “Macao Travel Related Bookings Has Surpassed pre-Pandemic, ‘the Hottest May 1 Golden Week’ is on the Horizons,” Trip.com Blackboard News, April 8, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ZGxjPfw-BRuLR5XQzjvTdA.
[4] “Macao Travel Related Bookings Has Surpassed pre-Pandemic, ‘the Hottest May 1 Golden Week’ is on the Horizons,” Trip.com Blackboard News, April 8, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ZGxjPfw-BRuLR5XQzjvTdA.
[5] “Xipolomacy: Xi on China’s Pursuit of High-Quality Development,” Xinhua, March 4, 2021, Xiplomacy: Xi on China's pursuit of high-quality development - Xinhua | English.news.cn (xinhuanet.com).
[6] “Chinese Authority Calls for High-Quality Development for ‘all-for-one’ Tourism,” CGTN, December 20, 2020, China calls for high-quality development of 'all-for-one' tourism - CGTN and “Ministry of Culture and Tourism, National Reform Commission, and 10+ Ministries Jointly Publishes ‘Regarding Deepening Internet + Tourism for Promoting Tourism Industry’s High Quality Development,” The Central Government of the People’s Republic of China, November 30, 2020, http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2020-11/30/content_5566041.htm.
This article was guest authored by Global Tourism Economic Forum (GTEF). Please note that the views and opinions expressed in the article may not necessarily reflect the official policy, position or views of PATA or any of its employees.
