- Carey takes Australia to 270 in 2nd ODI against England after collapse
- Two Hezbollah leaders killed in Israel's Beirut strike
- Hungary Danube waters reach decade high after Storm Boris
- Bagnaia cuts Martin's MotoGP lead with Emilia-Romagna sprint win
- Jackson double fires Chelsea to victory at woeful West Ham
- Fiji beat Japan to lift Pacific Nations Cup
- Kasatkina to face Haddad Maia in Korea Open final
- S.Africa snowfall closes roads, strands motorists overnight
- Lawyers of women alleging Al-Fayed sex abuse receive over 150 new enquiries
- President Museveni's son backs Ugandan strongman for 7th term
- Norris quickest as Verstappen bounces back in Singapore practice
- Wallabies lament All Blacks' fast start
- Germany's Oktoberfest opens under tight security after attacks
- Environmental protesters block French cruise liner port
- Hezbollah in disarray after Israeli strike kills top commanders
- No place like home: Biden hosts 'Quad' leaders
- One dead, 7 missing as heavy rains trigger floods in central Japan
- Zelensky says no UK, US go-ahead to use long-range missiles
- New Zealand edge Australia 31-28 in Bledisloe Cup thriller
- Japan orders evacuations as heavy rains trigger floods in quake-hit area
- New Zealand pilot freed in Indonesia after 19 months in rebel captivity
- Hezbollah in disarray after Israeli air strike kills top commanders
- The BYD Seal Hybrid U DM-i AWD in a practical test by journalists
- Leading climate activist released from Vietnam jail
- Ethiopians struggle with bitter pill of currency reform
- Sri Lanka votes in first poll since economic collapse
- Feminist author warns of abortion disaster if Trump wins US election
- US city of Flint still reeling from water crisis, 10 years on
- Arsenal's mean defence faces acid test to shut out Man City again
- Late surge lifts Thailand's Jeeno to LPGA Queen City lead
- DeChambeau says PGA's Ryder Cup decision 'just the start'
- Alcaraz defeated on Laver Cup debut
- Postecoglou embraces 'struggle' to make Spurs a success
- Nice hand 'ashamed' Saint-Etienne 8-0 Ligue 1 mauling
- Boeing CEO says ending strike 'a top priority'
- Stock markets mostly fall after Fed-fueled rally
- Harris slams Trump for hypocrisy on abortion as US starts voting
- Academy to host first overseas ceremony to honor young filmmakers
- No doctor necessary: US okays nasal spray flu vaccine for self-use
- Gurbaz, birthday boy Rashid lead Afghanistan to 177-run rout of South Africa
- Former delivery man Baldwin leads star names at PGA Championship
- Trump shooting: Secret Service admits complacency
- Can an ambitious Milei make Argentina an AI giant?
- Haiti, its suffering growing, in 'race against time': UN expert
- Ibrahim Aqil, the Hezbollah elite unit commander wanted by the US
- Chinese forward Cui signs NBA contract with Brooklyn Nets
- US Fed dissenter calls for 'measured' pace of rate cuts
- Guardiola tells players to lead change over workload as Kompany demands cap on games
- Norway limits wild salmon fishing as stocks hit new lows
- Top Hezbollah commander killed in Israeli strike on Beirut
'Finally!': Madrid tourism fair abuzz with return of Chinese visitors
China's prolific and big-spending tourists have been stuck at home, unable to travel for almost three years, and their looming return has industry professionals abuzz at a major Madrid tourism congress this week.
China was the world's largest outbound tourist market before the pandemic, with 154 million international travellers in 2019, according to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Travellers from China were also the biggest spenders, accounting for $255 billion in tourism dollars, the Madrid-based organisation said in a report this week.
But travel in and out of China dropped dramatically under China's zero-Covid curbs, which all but shut borders for three years before reopening them on January 8.
The WTO hailed the removal of Beijing's virus travel restrictions as "a significant and much-welcomed step to the recovery of the tourism sector".
"Three years is a long time, we're glad they're coming back," said Angela Harizaj, head of sales for "My Tour in Italy," at the five-day FITUR tourism congress in Madrid.
"Before the pandemic, we used to work a lot with the Chinese market," Harizaj added.
The fair, which began Wednesday and wraps up Sunday, is expected to draw 120,000 participants and 8,500 firms.
- 'Recovery is underway' -
Carlos Garrido de la Cierva, the head of the Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies, predicted that Chinese tourists' "strong desire to travel" after three years of restrictions would likely give the sector a boost.
"In many countries, the recovery was immediate when the restrictions were lifted. We hope that we will have the same thing here," he added.
Vanessa Losbar, the sales manager of global French chain B&B Hotels, said the company has already recorded 10,000 requests for stays in the Paris region from groups of Chinese tourists.
"Clearly, the recovery is underway... Finally!," she said.
- Obstacles remain -
But the UNWTO said Tuesday in its report that the resumption of travel from China was "likely to benefit Asian destinations in particular".
It recalled that as of mid-January, 32 nations -- mainly in Asia and Europe -- had imposed specific travel restrictions related to travel from China due to a rise in Covid-19 infections in the country.
China has responded by ceasing to issue short-term visas to people from several nations.
A lack of flights and the high price of air travel could hamper the recovery of the Chinese market, said Tim Fairhurst of the European Tourism Association.
During the pandemic, airlines slashed their flights to and from China and it will "take time" to restore them, he added.
Many Chinese people saw their passports expire during the past three years and a sudden demand to renew them may cause bottlenecks.
"The return of Chinese tourists may take a bit of time, but we are on the right track," said Harizaj of "My Tour in Italy".
D.Kaufman--AMWN