Reuters
Chinese outbound tourism numbers are set to jump by more than 25% this year from 2020 but remain "basically at a standstill" compared to pre-pandemic levels, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday, citing official projections. The dramatic drop in travellers from China, the world's most populous nation, since the rapid spread of coronavirus early last year, has left a $255 billion annual spending hole in the global tourism market. A total of 25.62 million Chinese tourist trips overseas are expected to be made in 2021, CCTV said, citing an annual report on outbound tourism from the China Tourism Academy, part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.