Pre-sales of the company’s cruise tours along Nordic fjords and the Mediterranean each surpassed RMB1 million in a single day.

The resumption of ITB Berlin this year brought about a range of travel discussions from around the world, one of them being the reopening of China and the impact it might have on global tourism.

During a panel discussion held by the World Tourism Cities Federation on March 9, Simeon Shi, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Corporate Development at Fliggy, reported that the company saw a surge in demand across various categories of outbound international travel-related products.

Simeon Shi: “A shift from destination-focused to experience-oriented and interest-driven.”

Fliggy is Alibaba Group’s online travel platform serving Chinese consumers.

According to Shi, the number of outbound and inbound flight bookings by Chinese consumers on Fliggy had increased more than 4.5 times year-on-year in the first two months of 2023.

The platform also noted a whopping 190% year-on-year increase in orders for outbound tour products, including overseas local rides, scenic spot tickets, and online visa processing services during the same period.

Shi mentioned that Fliggy had been preparing for the revival of outbound travel demand during the pandemic. The company has been active in building Chinese tourists’ awareness and positive mindshare toward outbound destinations over the past three years.

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