China has included Bulgaria in the group of countries to which organized tourist groups have the right to travel, the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announces. The decision comes into effect immediately, writes Reuters.
The restrictions were put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which China closed its doors to foreigners and curtailed Chinese people’s ability to travel abroad to prevent the spread of the infection.
Chinese tour groups will also return to Germany, Great Britain, Finland, Sweden, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Oman, Israel, Lebanon and Australia. According to the Associated Press, the list includes more than 70 countries to which travel agencies are allowed to start recruiting groups.
Before the pandemic, tourists from mainland China spent abroad more than tourists from any other country on hotels, tours, souvenirs and designer brands, totaling $255 billion in 2019, with group tours estimated to account for about 60% of that. (Novinite/Business World Magazine)
