The first week since Beijing opened its borders—flight bookings are falling short.
Travel data firm ForwardKeys said that China’s outbound flight bookings were at just 15 percent of pre-pandemic levels. In contrast to a 192-percent jump from the same period last year.
China’s travel sector faces a number challenges as it looks to recover: low airline capacity, high air fares, new pre-flight COVID-19 testing requirements by many countries, and a backlog of passport and visa applications.
ForwardKeys Vice President of Insights explained: “Although Chinese New Year is likely to see international travel rebound for the first time in three years, we will need to wait longer before we see a resurgence in Chinese tourists exploring the globe.”