China Lifts Ban on Group Tours to U.S. and Other Countries, in Boost to Global Travel Industry
livemint.comHONG KONG—China lifted restrictions on group tours to the U.S., Australia, South Korea and Japan on Thursday, a move that is set to boost global tourism after three years of pandemic restrictions. China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism added almost 80 new destinations to a list of countries approved for group travel on Thursday, with immediate effect. The countries were the third batch of places that group tours led by travel operators can now visit, including some in East Asia that are among the most popular destinations for Chinese holiday makers.
With Thursday’s announcement, Chinese tourists can now travel in groups to almost 140 countries around the world. A few dozen nations remain excluded, including Canada, Ukraine, as well as some countries in South America and Africa. China didn’t restrict individuals from traveling abroad during the pandemic, but getting the proper paperwork was difficult and Covid-prevention measures made the return to China onerous.
While global travel and tourism largely resumed last year, mainland China remained a major outlier until Beijing began lifting pandemic-era border restrictions in December. Tour groups make overseas travel more accessible for many in mainland China, especially those who don’t speak foreign languages. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, China had become the largest and most valuable source of visitors for many travel destinations around the world.
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