On July 14, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism have been given the green light to resume most interregional group tours across provinces after a suspension of nearly six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will help boost the recovery of tourism industry as soon as possible.
The travel agencies and online travel service providers, as long as they are approved by local authorities, can restart group tours and provide travel packages that include flight tickets and hotels. The reopened tourist sites should limit visitors to no more than 50 percent of their daily capacity, and the indoor tourist sites should require reservations in advance to avoid mass gathering of people.
According to Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, the pandemic had taken a toll on China's tourism industry in the first half of the year, but it was expected to rebound in the second half of 2020. There is still the significant pent-up demand in the travel field. A recent survey report released by the academy said potential tourism demand remains high, with over 80 percent of people desire to travel in the third quarter of this year. The policy will also benefit tourist attractions, airlines, hotels and related businesses.