Damaged Reputations and Struggling Tourism Industries for US and China
Revamped Take:
US Tourism Dip vs China's Heavier Travel Woes: An Unexpected Twist
The travel world's been rocked by recent crises, and it seems ol' Donald Trump's got even the mighty US feeling the heat, right? But hold on tight, because it's China that's taken the worst beating so far.
Münich/Beijing - Conflicts and turmoil in recent years have dealt a harder blow to China than the USA. Both big German airports, Frankfurt and Munich, have witnessed an uptick in passenger numbers on US flights since President Trump took office this year, but a downward trend in traffic to China. In fact, the US has surpassed China in global visitor numbers since 2019.
The Trumpcmd-led Travel Crisis in the US? Experts Aren’t So Sure Yet:
Munich Airport clocked nearly 1.2 million passengers on US flights from January to May - a bump of almost 37,000 over the previous year. In Frankfurt, passenger numbers on US flights increased by 7,600 to 944,300 in the first four months (without May). Here's the kicker, though - it’s unclear if these figures reflect an influx of Americans or Europeans. Includes departing and arriving passengers, ya see?
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While experts predict Trump's second term is bad news for US tourism (the World Tourism Organization WTTC and the consulting firm Oxford Economics estimate US will suffer revenue losses of over twelve billion dollars this year due to reluctant foreign travelers[6]), numbers from both Munich and Frankfurt don't show a significant Trump effect yet.
The Long, Winding Road Back for China:
Passenger numbers on China flights to and from Munich and Frankfurt have dropped this year: by 1,300 to nearly 203,000 passengers in the first five months in Munich. In Frankfurt, there were 180,300 flight passengers to and from China in the first four months, 27,000 fewer than the previous year. Things haven't improved much in the long term, either: between 2019 and 2024, there's been a decline in passenger numbers to and from China, with higher numbers in US traffic overall.
Why's China lagging behind, you ask? "Accessibility to China has changed significantly," says tourism expert Dennis Utzerath of the international consulting firm BCG in Cologne. Flights to China were shortened notably during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Credit crunch and warfare isn't helping either. European airlines have been taking expensive detours around Russia since 2022 due to the Ukraine war, unlike Chinese airlines. "For European airlines, it's become significantly tougher to compete with Chinese airlines," says Utzerath. Heavyweights like Lufthansa and British Airways have called off flights to China.
China Travel Blogs: A Surprising Renaissance in the Offing?:
"The weak flight passenger numbers from Germany to China don't tell us much about actual tourist demand for China," says Holger Baldus, security manager at the Munich-based tour operator Studiosus. The dwindling passenger numbers are a result of the adjustments European carriers have made to their routes to China, explains Baldus. What's surprising, though, is the resurgence of interest in China tourism from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland - held back at the moment by the scarcity of available seats, according to Baldus.
Even Germany's largest tour operator, Tui, says they've noticed an increase in interest for China - "but of course from a rather minimal starting point," as a Tui spokesperson points out.
Why the West's Leaving China for Now
It's impossible to deny China's waning appeal on the international stage post the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, a whopping 96.6 million foreign visitors flocked to China, but in 2024, that number had dropped to around 64.9 million - a decrease of nearly a third. US tourist figures, in contrast, have picked up quickly after the pandemic was over: in 2019, the United States counted 79.3 million visitors, fewer than those heading to China. Last year, it was 72.3 million - more than China.
China's global allure has been deteriorating for longer than just pandemic-related reasons. Western reporting on topics like invasive state monitoring, restrictive lockdowns, dire environmental conditions, and war threats against Taiwan has definitely played a part.
Trump or Trumpet, the USA Stays Popular
"Image definitely comes into play when discussing China," says business consultant Utzerath. Negative PR always leaves a mark. "And it's not because a country's 'down', but because the flow of positive experiences, glowing travel reports, and enticing impressions dries up." Shifts in interest are the result, says Utzerath.
But don't expect many encouraging headlines about traveling to the US anytime soon. On the positive side, the dollar-euro exchange rate currently favors Europeans.
Tourism's the Economic Stimulus China Needs
Unlike the US government, Beijing is actively trying to draw more visitors to the country. Visa reforms—liberalizing requirements for Germans and numerous other Europeans—are in place, allowing for visa-free travel for business or tourist purposes for up to 30 days.
Access to China's digital payment system has also become easier, with the acceptance of foreign credit cards and translated apps. In the first quarter of this year, Chinese authorities reported around 17.4 million foreign entries - an increase of over a third compared to the previous year.
Beijing is hoping that tourism will give the lagging economy a much-needed boost. Weak demand and stagnant consumer sentiment are currently hampering economic growth, and officials are looking to domestic tourism as a way to increase consumer spending. Innovative initiatives like designing special train journeys for senior citizens featuring on-board medical care and nursing services are being rolled out to encourage higher consumption among the older population.
[1] - [4] Source: World Tourism Organization WTTC. [5] Source: Oxford Economics. [6] Source: Spiegel.
- Despite the ongoing travel crises, China's lifestyle, politics, and general-news sectors may face more significant challenges due to a marked decrease in travelers, as indicated by reduced passenger numbers on China flights to and from Munich and Frankfurt.
- The travel industry, particularly in the USA, appears to be resilient against the impact of politics, as the number of passengers on US flights from Germany has increased significantly since President Trump took office, suggesting a possible trend in travel and lifestyle choices related to the political climate.
- In the realm of crime and justice, the falling number of travelers to China may have a ripple effect on tourism-related businesses and the overall economy of the country, as Beijing actively seeks to boost tourism as an economic stimulus and counteract weak consumer sentiment and demand.
