From London to Paris: Where are all the Chinese tourists this summer?

China’s long-awaited reopening following the Covid-19 pandemic has raised a puzzling question: Where are the crowds of Chinese tourists in Europe? While data reveals a cautious return to travel among Chinese nationals, there are signs of gradual recovery across European destinations.

According to travel data firm ForwardKeys, the number of Chinese travelers to Europe during the recent May Day holiday period was 64 percent lower compared to 2019.

Tourism Economics, a research and analysis company, similarly reports that Chinese arrivals in most European destinations during the first half of the year remained over 60 percent lower than 2019 levels.
David Goodger, managing director for Europe and the Middle East at Tourism Economics, says: “There was an initial rebound towards the start of the year, and notably around the Lunar Chinese New Year, which we understand to have largely involved visits to friends and relatives, but growth has not continued.”

Goodger says that this lack of continued growth is not entirely unexpected. The recovery process was always anticipated to be gradual, as was the case “for other markets after re-opening to international travel, and especially so for those that delayed opening later than average.”

Wolfgang Arlt, director of Hamburg-based China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, identifies the scarcity and high prices of air tickets, along with lengthy visa application processes, as major obstacles to the recovery of Chinese outbound travel to Europe.

Arlt points out that the slow visa process by European governments has led to frustration among potential Chinese travelers, highlighting a growing divide between government interests and the private tourism and hotel industry.