The changing face of China’s foreign tourists

Analysts and tourism businesses told The Straits Times that cancellations by international airlines of flights and routes to China in recent months, coupled with geopolitical tensions, have dampened the sector’s recovery from the pandemic. NTU’s Asst Prof Dylan Loh said the efforts to simplify travel for foreigners are part of China’s move to foster greater exchange of people and ideas, and from the Chinese perspective, hopefully business as well. These efforts signal that “China is still and will remain ‘open for business’”, said Prof Loh, who specialises in Chinese foreign policy. He added, however, that it is “still up in the air” if this message resonates with the global business community, particularly in the US and Europe. NTU’s Prof Loh said a major deterrent for Americans dates back to 2023, when the US travel advisory on China was upgraded from “exercise increased caution” to “reconsider travel”, which remains until today.

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