After more than 3 years, China is finally open to tourism again! Margot’s former colleague, Guy Rubin of Imperial Tours, recently shared with us the latest scoop on travel to China. And we wanted to pass that information along to you.
Great news! China has dropped their requirement for a PCR test to gain entry to the mainland. This means that leisure travelers, once they have their visas, can now easily travel there. What is still required is that visitors self-certify their RAT test. If this sounds like gobbledygook to you, don’t worry. I’m going to describe the painless and simple process below as part of an FAQ covering the following questions:
1. After April 29, visitors to China have to self-declare a RAT test for entry into China. What does that mean and how do you do it?
To enter China, all you will need is a RAT or a rapid anti-gen test (as featured in the photo here). These are still available for purchase at many pharmacies. Presuming you have tested negative, prior to boarding your international flight to China, you complete China’s official health declaration here to say that you have tested negative for Covid – and that’s it. You will be given a QR code immediately which may be scanned upon your arrival, but recent experience has shown that no further checks are made. It does seem that after three plus years, China is at last open to leisure travelers again!
2. Are all hotels and destinations fully open and operational? If so, what’s the availability for guides and drivers?
During the pandemic, China’s borders were shut, and with nowhere else to go the local tourism industry performed well. Hotels maintained good occupancy rates, and there have been several new openings, too. We will update you about these in due course as business returns to normal. Destinations throughout China have now fully reopened – only a few shut for short periods and all domestic travel controls have now been scrapped. Some guides and drivers have retired or have left the industry to explore other opportunities. Therefore, we encourage travelers to book early to be assured of capacity.
3. Do you now recommend leisure trips to China?
The first concern is one of health and safety. Terence, who heads our Hong Kong office, was in China last week and said everything seemed fine. I’ll be there in a couple of weeks and will report back then, and I’m going again with Nancy and the kids this summer, so I don’t have any concerns. This is echoed by the fact that no western government or country has any restrictions or reservations about allowing Chinese visitors entry into their countries now. Although travel between Hong Kong and the mainland has been extremely vigorous in the last few weeks, general numbers from overseas into China are obviously extremely low at the moment, which means that hotels, destinations and tourist sites are relatively quieter than they will be next year, so summer and fall this year would be a good time to travel to China.
The only reason not to come is if guests specifically seek an experience that we cannot yet provide. For example, the “panda hugging” activity in Chengdu currently is unavailable and the chap who normally provides Jewish tours in Shanghai won’t be back in the country until 2024. (Whilst there may be others who can provide this information, none bring the same emotional charge to the subject.) Otherwise for most clients, now is a great time to visit.
4. What can our clients expect in the quality of services during this reopening?
Foreign visitors have not visited China for 3+ years, during which time some people have left the hospitality industry. Clients should therefore expect the same service bottlenecks that have been experienced in hotels in western Europe and Japan. Restaurants have been thriving in China during this period, and so Chinese cuisine remains an area of strength. To avoid disappointment and ensure quality, early booking is key. We are seeing a very differentiated demand profile in different parts of the world, so whilst some countries are not seeing great demand for China, travel agents in other countries very much are. As a result, guides in some languages such as Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese are in high demand.
5. What are the main tours in China you recommend?
For a first time western visitor to China we continue to recommend Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin, and Shanghai. This gives a good balance of history, scenery, culture, and the outdoors. We could swap Guilin for Hangzhou, for those who wish to reduce the number of domestic flights. However, specific arrangements within these destinations may differ.
Long short, we are so excited that China is at last open to overseas leisure visitors again.