As international travel rebounds post-COVID-19, the Chinese government appears to be nudging its citizens away from visiting U.S. allies like South Korea, Japan and Australia.

The sluggish resurgence of Chinese outbound tourism emerged as a notable surprise in 2023.

Following its reopening in early 2023, China pushed to revive international travel. By February, it had removed restrictions on group travel to various Southeast Asian countries and New Zealand. This was extended to other major destinations, including South Korea, Japan, Australia and the U.S. by August.

However, the anticipated flood of Chinese tourists fell short. Destinations such as South Korea,