On the evening of February 5, about 50 tourists gathered at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport's Terminal 2. They were there to join tour groups to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt organized by GZL International Travel Service Ltd. (GZL).
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These were China's first outbound tour groups in 3 years since China announced to optimize the epidemic prevention and control measures and resume outbound travel.
Outbound tourism in Guangzhou has seen a boom
On February 6, nearly 160 tourists in six tour groups traveled to the UAE, Cambodia, Thailand and Egypt from Guangzhou. According to GZL, since the Spring Festival holiday has passed, tourists of the first two tour groups are mainly composed of retirees, accounting for 80% of current travelers.
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Ms. Li, a Guangzhou resident traveling to Dubai, said that she had traveled overseas once or twice a year after retirement and already planned to visit Dubai in 2020, but the pandemic and subsequent restrictions on travel curtailed her plans. As travel agencies and online tourism service providers in China have resumed group tours to 20 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, starting February 6, Ms. Li immediately invited her friends and family to sign up for the trip.
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Adam Li, Vice President of Emirates China, said, "We are delighted to restart our long-awaited outbound group tourism business in Guangzhou and offer convenience with more travel options for Chinese tourists." On the Chinese mainland, Emirates provides one flight a day to Guangzhou operating its flagship A380, and the Guangzhou route has fully recovered to its pre-pandemic level.
For some time to come, outbound group tourists will be welcomed with various kinds of discounts and offers from local tourism authorities, hotels, and tourist attractions upon arrival at their destinations. For example, Chinese citizens with passports valid for more than 6 months and with no negative departure record can enjoy visa-free travel in Dubai. Meanwhile, until March 31, 2023, tourists worldwide can enjoy exclusive offers at more than 500 shops in the UAE by showing their passports along with their Emirates boarding passes.
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To ensure efficient, convenient, and safe service for outbound tourism with a high passenger flow, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport has reintroduced exclusive check-in counters, and Baiyun Frontier Inspection Station of Guangzhou General Station of Exit-entry Frontier Inspection will increase inspection channels in the airport.
In addition, Guangzhou will better implement the 144-hour visa-free transit policy. Expats of 53 listed nationalities with valid travel documents and onward travel booked within 144 hours are eligible for the visa-free policy.
(Photo provided to GDToday)
