DOHA - The return of Chinese tourists to destinations worldwide will top off a spectacular post-Covid-19 global tourism revival in 2023, according to industry leaders.
The northern hemisphere summer travel season is expected to send airline traffic back to levels last seen before the pandemic erupted in December 2019. Mr Akbar Al-Baker, Qatar Airways’ chief executive, said all of its planes leaving China are “absolutely packed”. “I think we are definitely in rebound, but more importantly we haven’t seen China come back yet,” he said, predicting the boom would be completed in the second half.Mr Tony Fernandes, a Malaysian tycoon whose conglomerate includes the AirAsia budget carrier, said he hoped to have all 250 planes in his fleet, which were grounded during Covid-19, running again by August.
Mr Fernandes said airline and credit card data indicated that leisure travel was now a key consumer priority.For decades, big hotel chains had two-thirds business customers and one-third leisure.