Starting Jan. 8, Chinese tourists will be allowed to travel outside their country for the first time in nearly three years. Excellent news for tourism in Europe and especially in France where the Chinese represent a large part of foreign tourists.
They had disappeared from the forecourt of the Eiffel Tower, from the vineyards of Burgundy or Bordeaux. Before the pandemic, each year more than 2 million of them visited France. Their preferred European destination. This return of Chinese tourists, again authorized to travel, delights professionals but it will be gradual.
Far from pre-pandemic level
” It is not because the Chinese can travel from January 8 that they will travel on January 9. A trip to Europe for a Chinese is anticipated. I don’t think there will be a significant return until spring. We will not reach the level of attendance of 2019 in 2023 “, explains Jean-Pierre Mas, president of the union of travel companies, at the microphone ofAlexis Bedufrom RFI’s economics department.
Especially since the Chinese spend when they are in Europe. In France, they represent 7% of tourist revenue, injecting 3.5 billion into the French economy.
“High Contribution Tourists”
“ We lost the Chinese and the Russians at the same time for different reasons. They are high-spending tourists who spend a lot during their trip, so their return is going to create a bit of a drag. They consume a lot in department stores, luxury boutiques, high-end », continues Jean-Pierre Mas.
The challenge for the sector: to bring Chinese tourists to new routes in France. A little less centered on Paris.
A dozen countries now require negative tests for travelers from China
Many countries are taking control measures for Chinese travelers. The latter will be able, from January 8, to travel outside their country. A first in nearly three years. Problem, China is overwhelmed by a wave of record contaminations, hospitals are stormed by elderly people, often little or badly vaccinated, and crematoria are overwhelmed.
To cope with this influx of travellers, a dozen countries have implemented control measures. Australia is the latest country to request a negative PCR test for travelers from China. Canberra pointed to the ” lack of complete information Chinese to justify his decision. Earlier, the World Health Organization had highlighted the same problem.
In recent days, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have also imposed a negative Covid test or a test on the arrival for travelers from China. Morocco has gone even further, closing its borders to all travelers from China, ” whatever their nationality “.