China outbound travel set for boom as airlines expand ops in region

Chinese tourists are seen shopping at a mall in Denpasar, Bali. — AFP

BEIJING: With the five-day May Day holiday – April 29 to May 3 – fast approaching, more and more Chinese consumers are expected to embark on outbound journeys, with Thailand, New Zealand and the Maldives, still their most popular destinations, even as the Middle East and Europe grow in popularity, tourism industry insiders say.

In January, after three years of Covid-19 disruptions, China optimised its pandemic response measures and restarted quarantine-free cross-border travel.