Chinese tourists returned to outbound travel during the recent Year of the Dragon break as a range of data showed that the number of overseas transactions and tour bookings by Chinese citizens rebounded to the pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019. Major Southeast Asian countries loosening visa requirements for Chinese tourists has also had an impact. Flight bookings to Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore – three Southeast Asian countries that have recently waived visas for Chinese passport holders – have seen a huge surge on Qunar. The return in popularity of overseas destinations comes as some domestic hotspots experienced travel issues. Context: The China Tourism Academy predicted earlier this month that the number of outbound tourists from the country in 2024 will reach 130 million, 50% up from the previous year.