INDUSTRY BRIEF: Chinese return to global travel

Chinese international bookings are up sharply this year for the upcoming National Day Holiday, as tourists rediscover their taste for overseas travel after a three-year pause during the pandemic. Outbound bookings for the weeklong holiday that starts Oct. 1 have doubled from a year ago, while visa applications for popular destinations are up by over 70%, according to Caixin.

A major factor fueling the return to foreign travel is falling airfares as the number of flights between China and the rest of the world returns to pre-pandemic levels. Tickets to Japan, Singapore and Britain being sold on Ctrip, the Chinese version of Trip.com, were down by an average of 30% from the same time last year, according to Caixin.

By Doug Young

To subscribe to Bamboo Works free weekly newsletter, click here