Look out France, because China is coming for your crown.
By the year 2030, China is projected to become the world’s most popular tourist destination, according to Euromonitor’s head of travel Caroline Bremner. This new development doesn’t mean France has nothing to offer. From their infamous fashion, tasty cuisine and world-renowned artwork, France has always been a tourist paradise. Now, it’s China turn to shine. What was once a privilege for government officials and social elites, is now open to all. Tourism has boomed in the past decade in China, thanks to a number of reasons.
The rising of disposable income can count as one of the main reasons, as well as the ease of accessing travel documents, which give Chinese citizens the chance to travel more. Big cities like Beijing and Shanghai topped the destination wishlist, with so many domestic tourists parading the streets on ordinary weekends.
China isn’t just making moves in tourism. Within the next ten years, China is also predicted to overtake the USA and Germany as the largest source of outbound departures in the world. It makes sense. At one point, Atlanta’s Hartfield-Jackson International Airport was the world’s busiest airport. Earlier this year, however, Beijing Capital International was revealed to be right behind them. In 2017, the Chinese capital’s airport came in second place again with 96 million passengers.
Places like Thailand and Hong Kong are expected to see the strongest increase in arrivals over the next decade.
Other countries are set to have major outbound impacts by 2030:
1. China
2. USA
3. Germany
4. United Kingdom
5. France
6. Hong Kong
7. South Korea
8. Canada
9. Russia
10. Netherlands