Chinese enthusiasm for ‘Belt and Road’ tourism runs high

As the policies and facilities for outbound tourism in China improve, more and more Chinese people are enthusiastically embarking on trips to countries along the “Belt and Road” route, China News reported on May 9.

Chinese travel website Lvmama.com released its 2017 Trend Report on Outbound Travel in “Belt and Road” Countries on May 9. The report shows that the number of Chinese tourists traveling to "Belt and Road" countries in 2016 was 2.7 times that in 2015, and "Belt and Road" destinations were more popular than those countries not participating in the initiative.

Southeast Asia, with its unique geographical advantages and tourism resources, remains the most popular tourism region, while Russia, Central Europe and Eastern Europe are in line to become popular alternatives for Chinese tourists in the future. Since the Belt and Road Initiative was implemented in 2013, tourist destinations in the Middle East, West Asia and North Africa have also gained popularity among Chinese tourists.

The report pointed out that Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam are the most popular countries among Chinese tourists overall, followed by Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, the United Arab Emirates, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.

It was estimated by the China National Tourism Administration that China will send 150 million tourists to "Belt and Road" countries during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), and those tourists will spend $200 billion while traveling. Meanwhile, 85 million tourists from those countries will come to China, spending $110 billion.