Chinese tourists embarking on adventures closer to home are forecast to pump a record 6.79 trillion yuan ($938 billion) into the mainland economy this year — topping pre-pandemic levels for the first time.
Spending by domestic holidaymakers is expected to be 11% higher than 2019 — before the COVID-19 pandemic stopped most travel, according to a report by the World Travel and Tourism Council and Oxford Economics.
"Chinese visitors are starting to travel again and this is only going to continue to grow,” said travel council president Julia Simpson. "The tourism sector has shown signs of resilience and a strong recovery.”