Mideast, Africa Emerge as New Popular Destinations for Chinese Tourists This Summer

By Cui Fandi and Zhang Changyue

Jul 17, 2023 10:51 PM

Dancers interact with tourists from China during a welcoming ceremony at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, on March 29, 2023. South Africa's tourism authority on Wednesday welcomed the first group of tourists from China since the outbreak of COVID-19.(Photo: Xinhua)

With the dog days of the year coming along with the summer holidays, Chinese travelers are unleashing their long pent-up energy on trips overseas. Some unexpected names have become new favorites on their list of destinations in addition to the traditional destinations in Europe and the US, including some countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Data from online travel platform Tuniu shows that since June, there has been a huge demand for visas for destinations including Singapore, Thailand, France, Malaysia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Vietnam, Greece and Russia, which are among the most popular overseas destinations in the summer. Ranked in the top 10 destinations, there are only four European countries, and no US.

European countries remain among the main destinations chosen by most clients, but many have turned their interest to destinations that are not the usual favorites, including Switzerland, Iceland, Serbia and the Caucasus region, Han Jie, head of CYTS Aoyou Travel Technology Development, told the Global Times on Monday.

In addition, some unexpected destinations appeared on the hot destination list, such as some Middle Eastern and African countries. These new hot destinations include South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, the UAE and Iran, Han said.

Data from another online travel platform Trip.com also shows a similar trend - just as Europe and other traditional popular destinations showed a trend to cool down, the Middle East and Africa market has become the summer outbound travel market "dark horse," media outlet The Paper reported Monday.

The popularity of traveling to Egypt and the UAE exceeded the same period in 2019, and the Egyptian route's traffic has even doubled. Iran has also been at the top of the list in terms of heat as a Chinese tourist destination in 2023, according to Trip.com.

"The main reason why tourists are exploring more 'uncommon' destinations is that outbound tourism has just resumed, and many of the tourists traveling abroad this year are experienced travelers," Han told the Global Times. "They are more in need of fresh, niche destinations."

Trip.com's data also hints at other supporting elements. Average summer airfares from China to the Middle East and Africa have not changed much from the pre-pandemic period, and number of flights is recovering well. In addition, visas for group travelers in Egypt and the UAE are easy to get.

As of July 11, the recovery of flights in the Middle East reached 70 percent of the same period in 2019; the recovery of flights in Africa reached 127 percent of the same period in 2019.

A woman surnamed Zhao, 26, who lives in Beijing, told the Global Times about her plans to travel to Kenya and Tanzania in Africa this summer and said she was aesthetically tired of popular destinations of Europe and the US.

"What attracts me to Africa is that it's easier to get a visa," she said. "You can see wildlife and nature firsthand in Africa, and it's a different style than Southeast Asia and Europe. It's the kind of trip I was dreaming of when I was stuck at home during the epidemic."

Meanwhile, travel to some countries in Europe and the US has been affected by the long time it takes to get a visa, as travelers find themselves unable to even book a time slot, not to mention apply, for a visa appointment for their desired destinations due to overcrowding.

The Global Times learned from several travel agencies across the country that Schengen and US visa application sites in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai are already fully booked until the end of this year, and the high likelihood of being rejected is scaring away large numbers of people.