China is reopening to tourists, here’s what you need to know

On Thursday, the US is expected to welcome back Chinese tourists for the first time since 2020when the Chinese government implemented the now infamous “no COVID” policy.

Three days later, when Chinese officials relaxed COVID-19 regulations on January 8 (removing the previously enforced strict quarantine for all travelers arriving in a hotel due to designated by the government), the United States will ban all visitors from China for upcoming test requirements.

As both US and Chinese citizens continue to travel between countries, here are the things you should know when traveling to and from China.

Starting January 5th, all travelers from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), as well as the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions, must submit a negative PCR result or a rapid self-antigen test performed within within two days of departure for the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the CDC, rapid tests must be “monitored by a telehealth service or licensed provider and approved by the Food and Drug Administration or the relevant national testing agency in the country.” that family allows”.

this rule applies to all airline passengers 2 years of age and older, effective from 12:01 a.m. (EST) Friday. However, this rule does not apply to passengers who have recently recovered from COVID-19 and tested positive at least 10 days before entry.

“CDC is announcing this step to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the United States amid a growing number of COVID-19 cases in China due to the lack of complete epidemiological and genomic sequencing data, and transparency reported from China,” The agency said in a press release 28. “These data are important to effectively monitor case growth and reduce the chances of a new variant of concern coming in.”

The newly announced testing requirement applies to all domestic airline passengers, regardless of nationality or vaccination status, traveling directly from China or via a third country, including those in transit. through the United States. However, this requirement does not apply to passengers transiting for less than 24 hours at airports in China, Hong Kong or Macau.

These screening rules also apply to passengers transiting Incheon International Airport (ICN), Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR) en route to the United States if they are already in China within 10 days before entering the US

“These three hubs serve the majority of passengers whose journeys originate in China and the Special Administrative Regions,” the CDC said.

While the CDC has tasked airlines with confirming receipt of a negative test result for COVID-19 prior to flight, it is the passenger’s responsibility to upload documentation during check-in, online or with staff at the border gate. Domestic carriers also noted these changes online; for example, American Airlines say Passengers without negative test results or recovery documents will not be allowed to board.

Read more: IHG sees the story of two rebounds between the US and China

“We will continue to monitor travel patterns, adjust our approach as needed, and promptly notify Americans,” the CDC said.

European Union It is also expected to introduce mandatory COVID-19 testing for Chinese tourists among its 27 member countries this week – following efforts by individual countries, including Italy, France, West Spain and Germany, to do so.

“The ECDC, together with EU/EEA member states and the European Commission have increased their monitoring activities and will revise risk assessments and adjust actions as needed,” the Centers for Control and Prevention said. European Disease Prevention and Control said in a statement. a statement on January 3. “ECDC is working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO)/Europe and WHO/Headquarters, and is in regular contact with the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC). and major CDCs around the globe.”

Outside the EU, India and the UK have done the same.

The US implementation of testing measures on travelers from China is due to a recent increase in the number of new cases among people in mainland China in December, according to data from both sides. World Health Organization and New York Times.

Health and government officials, including the ECDC, have frequently questioned the reliability of COVID-19 data coming from China.

“The number of COVID-19 cases has reached a record high in mainland China, peaking on December 2, 2022,” the ECDC said this week. “Over the past three weeks, the incidence has decreased, possibly also due to less testing being done, resulting in fewer infections being detected.”

Although the country has administered nearly 3.5 billion doses of the vaccine as of November 29, 2022, according to WHO, the country has so far relied on Chinese-made vaccines; According to various reports, these vaccines have been shown to be less effective against the omicron variant. covered by NPR.

China’s reopening next week will almost certainly affect the nightly averages hotel prices in some of the world’s most popular destinations, according to industry experts TPG spoke to.

In 2019, Chinese tourists accounted for 4.2% of worldwide tourist arrivals — or $154 billion in total spending, according to a recent analysis conducted by AllianceBernstein, an investment firm. Global. Collectively, China accounted for 12% of the world’s total hotel room spending in 2019. By 2023, the number is close to zero.

At the same time, we expect hotel prices to increase in US cities that were previously frequented by Chinese tourists before the pandemic, such as San Francisco, Las Vegas and New York City.

As a result, travelers will likely see the greatest impact in major cities still struggling to recover to pre-pandemic hotel rates, namely San Francisco.

Richard Clarke, managing director of the hospitality industry at Bernstein, told TPG via email: “I see a clear positive correlation between demand and price. -up on demand helps.”

While analysts are cautious about projecting exact numbers that determine how much more expensive hotels may be when travelers return, they seem focused on the idea that This is good news for hoteliers — especially in a time of so much economic uncertainty.

“There seems to be only one upside, but the exact timing is a bit uncertain,” said Patrick Scholes, managing director of leisure and leisure capital research at investment bank Truist Securities.

The timing of China’s reopening coincided with the Lunar New Year, which began on January 21 and lasted nearly a month. With many traveling to China for the biggest Chinese holiday of the year, The number of new COVID-19 infections is expected to spike.

“We look forward to welcoming Chinese tourists back to the United States,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the American Travel Association. The Biden administration’s highly targeted COVID testing approach is reasonable and appreciated.”