CHINESE travel agents expect outbound tourism to recover within 12 months, according to a report by ITB China.
The 2020 China Market Recovery Special Edition was conducted by ITB China to analyse and highlight Chinese market trends in a post-Covid-19 world.
Asked about the recovery of the Chinese outbound travel market, 43 per cent of those surveyed said they expected outbound travel to recover within the next nine to 12 months.
Some 33 per cent reckoned it could take six to nine months, whereas 20 per cent believe answered three to six months, and only four per cent expected to see a recovery within the next three months.
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“China was hit first and should therefore be one of the first countries to recover, which would prove to be positive for European-Chinese tourism cooperation. By the time Europe can go back to normal, China might be ready for long-haul travel again.” said Eduardo Santander, executive director of the European Tourism Commission.
Santander said he expected the European travel industry to recover in 2021.
ITB China reported that Chinese travel operators and outbound tour agencies have been coping with the Covid-19 crisis by restructuring operations, engaging in internal employee training programs and communicating closely with partners and customers.
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Survey results showed that even with the suspension of business during the outbreak, travel agencies and travel-related companies have been proactive with their customers.
It was found that 66.5 per cent of respondents communicated with stakeholders weekly, 16.5 per cent shared updates every two weeks, while 17 per cent kept in touch on a monthly basis.
James Liang, Trip.com group chairman, said: “Different measures taken by different countries and territories will hinder international travels, which will impose certain pressure on short-term upward tendency. However, in the long run, the industry is extremely resilient and any irreversible change is highly unlikely.”
The complete version of the ITB China Travel Trends Report – The 2020 China Market Recovery Special Edition will be published on www.itb-china.com in the next month.
