Boosting springtime travel

Tourism sector must adapt as people seek shorter trips, flexible itineraries amid the pandemic

With spring in full bloom in most parts of China and temperatures rising, many people were dying to hit the road during the Qingming Festival holiday from April 3 to 5 and also looking to do the same during the upcoming May Day holiday from April 30 to May 4. But due to the resurgence of COVID-19 infections, most prefer going on short trips.

As of March 29, there were 539 high- and medium-risk areas for COVID-19 across 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Although different cities have implemented different prevention and control measures based on the ground situation, most areas require tourists to furnish negative nucleic acid test reports conducted 48 hours before the visit.

Some cities have asked residents to avoid unnecessary travel to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, especially the highly transmissible Omicron variant. And most domestic and inbound group tours have been suspended and some tourist attractions temporarily closed.

Over the past two years, the pandemic has changed people’s demand and preferences for travel. In general, travelers are now more likely to enjoy short trips. As a result, demand for private and customized group tours has grown significantly. People tend to visit places closer to home, spend a weekend at nearby sites, close to or in the lap of nature, in order to prevent the virus from spreading.

Before the pandemic broke out, people tended to make plans and reservations in advance. But nowadays, people have more flexible itineraries because of the uncertainties related to the pandemic. Travelers are now more worried about environmental hygiene of the tourist sites, insurance coverage, cancellation policies and emergency management.

Since shorter trips, lighter travel, flexible itineraries seem to have become the new normal, the tourism industry needs to promote new products and services in order to adapt to the changes and continue drawing tourists.

Although many online platforms are providing different types of information to help travelers plan their weekend trips, the tourism industry needs to develop and promote more high-quality destinations reachable by car.

While enterprises and scenic spots need to provide better services and more reliable support for protecting the rights of tourists and customers, hotels and restaurants must focus on keeping their establishments hygienic and upgrading their services.

According to a guideline for the Chinese tourism market for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period issued by the State Council, China’s Cabinet, on Jan 20, the authorities will promote inbound tourism in an orderly manner only after the pandemic is effectively contained.

Against this backdrop, tourism enterprises and local governments should promote smart tourism using digital technology, big data, artificial intelligence and better network services, as well as introducing contactless devices at tourist sites, in order to increase bookings and facilitate safe travel. In addition, governments should implement anti-pandemic measures according to the local conditions.

Also, tourist attractions and public venues need to maintain restrictive entry policy, and the tourist sites, hotels and restaurants should continue to take preemptive measures such as sterilizing the facilities, prohibiting unnecessary gatherings, and checking visitors’ body temperature and health codes.

As for travelers and tourists, they should observe anti-pandemic rules, by continuing to wear face masks, maintaining social distancing and following the government’s health instructions.

Moreover, to help the tourism and catering sectors to overcome the challenges created by the pandemic, local governments should implement tax-and-fee reduction policies and guide them to explore a new development model.

Let us hope the tourism industry, with the help of governments, enterprises and the public, has a profitable spring.