World awaits Chinese tourists' return

(ECNS) -- Many countries, especially the Southeast Asian countries, are awaiting the return of Chinese tourists after China optimized its COVID-19 measures.

Indonesian Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno said that his country is ready to welcome Chinese tourists following China's optimized COVID-19 strategy.

"We are ready to welcome Chinese tourists with a red carpet," Uno said at a weekly news briefing in the country's capital Jakarta. 

Azril Azahari, chairman of the Indonesia Tourism Intellectual Association, said he expects an early arrival of Chinese tourists to Bali, which is conducive to the development of tourism of Indonesia, especially to Bali.

Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. invited the Chinese people to visit his country as tourists, students and investors. "I shall push for the resumption of tourism and cultural cooperation between our two countries," he said.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said he was very pleased to welcome back Chinese tourists, whose presence is vital to the country's tourism and economic growth.

Thai Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said that China's gradual restoration of its citizens' overseas travel and other favorable factors could boost Thai tourism sector, the key economic growth contributor of the country, which is expected to push the Thai economy to grow 3.8 percent in 2023.

“The recent policy of resuming outbound tourism for Chinese citizens in an orderly manner would help restore the confidence of the world in terms of the promotion of tourism while making a good contribution to the global economy,” Managing Director of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Aftabur Rehman Rana said. PTDC is to hold the Pakistan-China “Year of Tourism Exchanges in 2023.”

Ong Ye Kung, Singapore's Minister for Health, said China's reopening is a great news that Singapore has been waiting for it for a long time. It would help the two countries resume rich and substantial cultural exchanges.

The reopening move is also warmly welcomed by tourism practitioners in the Middle East. “We are so happy to hear the good news,” Amir Ben Aribia, general manager of the Tunisian travel company Tunisia Blue Sky, told Xinhua.

The Expo City Dubai will host the "Happy Chinese New Year" Grand Parade on 14th January, coinciding with the approaching Chinese New Year.

The return of Chinese tourists would strengthen cultural exchanges between China and the Mideast countries in the long run, Ross Curran, an assistant professor at Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, told The National, an English daily newspaper with headquarters in Abu Dhabi.