Coronavirus recovery tips

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, February 2. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Japan’s tourist arrivals soared to a record-breaking high last month, with over 3 million visitors exploring the country, as reported by the Japan National Tourism Organization on Wednesday.

Outbound travel from China to the Middle East reached pre-pandemic levels during the Chinese New Year period, according to data firm ForwardKeys.

Cuba is counting on winter-weary Russians to help boost the Caribbean island nation’s ailing tourism sector in 2024, according to the Cuban ambassador in Moscow, after a disappointing 2023 saw visitors numbers fall short of the government’s goals.

Japan ended 2023 with a record number of visitors in December, capping off a year in which its tourism industry made a significant recovery from the pandemic.

China is addressing the bottlenecks that have restricted outbound travel from the country. But the enthusiasm among Chinese travelers to visit the U.S. is diminishing, according to the latest survey from China Trading Desk, a marketing technology company.

Among the last countries to resume tourism activities post-pandemic, North Korea is set to welcome its first international tourists in February, marking the end of its border closure since January 22, 2020. And tourists, especially in Russia, are taking note.

As it prepares for the launch of 19 new properties in 2024, Singapore-headquartered Banyan Tree Group is embracing a sleeker image, rebranding itself as the Banyan Group.

On January 8, 2023, China reopened its borders for travel, ending a three-year closure during the Covid pandemic. Most analysts predicted a surge in travel. It didn’t happen. And one year later, the world is still waiting. 

China will now be entering into a reciprocal agreement with Thailand for permanent waiver of visa requirements for citizens of the two countries from March onwards.

China has simplified entry rules for U.S. citizens visiting the country on tourist visas. Starting January 1, tourist visa applicants in the U.S. will no longer be required to submit proof of round-trip air tickets, hotel reservations, itinerary or invitation letter. 

The outbound travel recovery in China is stuck at just over half of 2019 levels, but there’s at least one promising sign of future demand: Domestic tourism is 90% above 2019 levels.

Visitors to the U.S. aren’t spending as much as they used to on lodging, food, local transportation, and entertainment.

Amtrak carried 28.6 million customers on train trips during its latest fiscal year. That number, while an improvement of nearly a quarter from 2022, fell short of its aim to match pre-pandemic ridership of 32.5 million trips.

Wait times for first-time visitor visas in Colombia, Mexico and India stretching to hundreds of days will continue to be a headache for the U.S. travel industry. 

In a significant rebound fueled by heightened summer travel demand, China’s Trip.com Group posted a net revenue of RMB 13.7 billion ($1.9 billion) in the third quarter, marking a 99% increase over 2022 and 31% increase from 2019 levels.

Before the pandemic, Trip.com Group offered an “Around the World” package that was priced at a staggering $250,000. It was an instant sensation, and sold out in a mere 17 seconds.

China’s aviation regulator said it will increase domestic flights to 34% above pre-pandemic levels, a move that will further boost the recovery of Chinese airlines.

Southwest Airlines executives want investors to be clear about big thing: U.S. travel demand is “healthy.” Southwest leaders repeated the word several times during the third-quarter earnings call Thursday.

Think China’s travel recovery is “sluggish?” Don’t say that to Calvin Chu, managing director and head of international vacation business at Alibaba’s Fliggy.

Nearly 6.5 million international travelers came to the U.S. in July, representing 84% of its pre-pandemic level, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office’s latest data release. Compared to July 2022, international travel to the U.S. is up 25%.