Tourism remains a critical part of the global economy — not only for Hawaiʻi, but also for many national economies.
Recent developments in Chinese travel have caught the attention of analysts around the region.
Autumn is not a peak travel season in the United States, but it's a very different story in China. Early October includes a stretch of national holidays, making it a popular time for vacation trips.
This year, many of those trips are expected to be domestic rather than international — following recent trends.
International travel restrictions were only loosened in January and many Chinese travelers are keeping their travel plans closer to home.
But some countries are making special efforts to convince Chinese tourists to go international this year. Thailand is one location leading the way.
Earlier this week, Thailand started a new visa-free entry program for visitors from China and Kazakhstan, a situation that will linger through the end of February.
That timing will capture not only the autumn holidays but also the Lunar New Year.
One area that has high hopes for the program is the beach destination of Phuket, where Chinese visitors are running about one-third the level of 2019 before the pandemic.
A top official of the local tourism authority told the Bangkok Post that while he expects the pace of Chinese travelers to pick up during the national holidays, they're not likely to return to pre-pandemic levels for at least another two years.
