Asia's tourist hotspots prepare for boom as China relaxes Covid rules

Tour boats make their way past the Merlion statue along Marina Bay in Singapore on December 1, 2022. - AFP

BANGKOK/SINGAPORE/SYDNEY (Reuters): Asian countries are bracing for an influx of Chinese tourists as Covid restrictions are dismantled, and while some are wary, operators in others are preparing packages such as hotpot buffets to cash in on the expected spike in travel.

Chinese tourists will no longer need to quarantine on return home starting Jan 8, the government announced this week, a move that spurred a surge in bookings from what was the world's largest outbound travel market in 2019.