Dearth of China tourists hindering Asia’s economic recovery

THE global pandemic and ensuing slump in global tourism didn’t hurt only Asia, but the region certainly has its share of top global travel destinations and the Covid-fuelled collapse in tourism was an unwelcome additional cost to bear.

According to United Nations research, travel restrictions caused a cumulative 95.3 per cent plunge in international arrivals to Asia and the Pacific between January and July 2021 – the biggest decline in international arrivals globally – compared to the same period in 2019. Prior to this, international tourist arrivals to Asia Pacific had risen from 208 million in 2010 to 360 million by 2019, and the sector was poised to deliver further growth before the world went into collective quarantine.

Across the region, including China, the World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that the tourism sector directly accounted for around 185 million jobs pre-pandemic, with more than 30 million of these jobs disappearing during the pandemic. The pain has been felt disproportionately by the region’s less developed economies, where alternative sources of foreign currency income are less available.