China lifts tourism restrictions – UNWTO
The UNWTO has hailed China’s reopening as “the last step in tourism’s recovery” from its worst historical crisis. China lifts tourism restrictions – UNWTO.
Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the UNWTO, warmly welcomed lifting travel restrictions as a significant boost to Asian and global economic growth.
Approximately 270 billion dollars was lost to the global economy due to the restrictions in China in 2020 and 2021, according to UNWTO data. Pololikashvili said that the opening of the border represents a “moment the world has been waiting for.”
After lifting restrictions, Mr Pololikashvili is the first head of a UN agency to visit China.
UNWTO’s participation in the official reopening celebrations and its support throughout the pandemic was welcomed by China’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Hu Heping. In addition, Hu Heping and Pololikashvili agreed to improve their cooperation in tourism education and agritourism development, which are vital areas of international development cooperation.
China had the largest tourist industry before the pandemic, according to UNWTO data. A total of $255 billion was spent by Chinese tourists on international travel in 2019, while 6 billion domestic trips were made, supporting many jobs and boosting the economy.
A Global Tourism Economic Forum (GTEF) will take place in Macau in September, which will be the UNWTO’s return to China.
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Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash
