Chinese visitors accounted for 150 million overseas trips in 2019, according to official figures, while Chinese tourists spent $130 billion overseas in 2018, up 13% from the previous year, China Tourism Academy found, reported the Financial Times.
But since the coronavirus outbreak started in Wuhan, the absence of Chinese tour groups has left hoteliers, restaurateurs, tour operators and retailers counting the cost as one of their highest-spending customer groups has been forced to stay at home.
China’s ministry of transport said that 73%fewer trips were taken by Chinese tourists over the lunar new year holiday in 2020 compared to 2019.
In addition, at least 14 countries have limited or banned flights from mainland China in an unprecedented restriction of travel to and from the world’s second-largest economy, with economists warning of a potentially severe impact on global growth.
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