Chinese national now make up the largest outbound travel group in the world totalling a whopping sixty-two million trips in the first half of 2017 alone as reported by the China National Tourism Association. Among the destinations, Southeast Asia accounts for a significant portion with thirty million trips made. Tourism consulting provided by the China Tourist Academy reveals that five countries from the region- Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Philippines –  make it to the top ten travel destinations. This is aided by the fact that nine countries in the region provide visa-free entry to Chinese nationals. Indonesia and Malaysia have both stepped up their efforts to bridge the gap and attract more tourists from China. The two have seen a 46% and 26.7% increase respectively. Malaysia has gained as a result of the ‘eNTRI’ programme allowing easier visa norms. Partnerships have also been inked with China Southern Airlines and Ali-trip to boost inflows.

Source:https://www.tourism-review.com/southeast-asian-countries-fight-for-chinese-tourists-news10336

Uploaded Date:27 October 2017