China’s long-awaited reopening following the Covid-19 pandemic has raised a puzzling question: Where are the crowds of Chinese tourists in Europe? While data reveals a cautious return to travel among Chinese nationals, there are signs of gradual recovery across European destinations.

According to travel data firm ForwardKeys, the number of Chinese travelers to Europe during the recent May Day holiday period was 64% lower compared to 2019.

Tourism Economics, a research and analysis company, similarly reports that Chinese arrivals in most European destinations during the first half of the year remained over 60% lower than 2019 levels.

According to Dragon Trail International’s Parulis-Cook, “There is still a very strong appetite for travel to Europe, especially western European countries like France, Germany, the UK, and Italy. When policies and capacity allow, we should see a healthy recovery of this market.”

The recovery of Chinese tourism is expected to become more noticeable by the October holiday, with some European destinations potentially achieving full recovery by 2024, she adds.