The US might soon see a considerable decline of Chinese tourists flying to their country. Meanwhile, Russia and Europe enjoy renewed interest from touring Chinese nationals.
CNBC cited reports on Wednesday indicating the extent of effect the trade war between China and the US has in tourism.
As stated, Chinese citizens are now becoming more "reluctant to visit" the United States as the vacation season draws near. One of the reasons pointed out is the escalating tariff war which was, in the first place, instigated by the Trump administration.
However, US tourism agencies reportedly said there's no current evidence signifying a drastic dip on the number of Chinese visitors to their country.
China Tourism Academy director, Jiang Yiyi said that the number of Chinese visitors is not actually that prevalent as compared to the influx of other foreign tourists.
YiYi, however, clarified that Chinese tourists are among the top big spenders in the US. In fact, in 2016, data shows that the average spending of a Chinese visitor in the country was $6,900.
This purchasing power, when dwindled, can definitely cause a considerable dent in the Western country's tourism industry.
"If the number of Chinese tourists decreases, entire tourism-related services sectors in the US are set to be harmed, including shopping destinations, airlines, and the catering industry," Jiang told Beijing-based news outlet, Global Times.
Jiang further noted that the latest US policies on China may inadvertently help blossom relationships with other international players, not only in trade but also in tourism.
Chinese people, according to Jiang, may resort looking for "an alternative country for travel."
The report said that there's already a grown interest vested in neighboring countries like Russia, which is now benefitting the 78 percent increase in popularity among Chinese nationals. Furthermore, European nations, particularly France, are up with 31 percent approval ratings.
