As Asia travel recovery commences, China keeps the walls up

As Asia-Pacific tentatively starts opening to international air travel, Beijing’s tough ‘Zero-Covid’ approach means an air travel recovery will be anything but complete for airlines. According to IATA’s travel regulation map, China imposes tough requirements for those entering the country, including two weeks of quarantine. This is in contrast to regional peers, which are cautiously doing away with quarantines, replacing them with vaccine mandates for passengers and Covid-19 testing regimes. Leisure travel to China is basically out, and there are even considerable restrictions on visa holders. Moreover, the restrictions will discourage Chinese residents from travelling abroad, let alone support the legions of package tours that fuelled so much Chinese air traffic growth before the coronavirus pandemic. Beijing’s commitment to Zero-Covid is underlined by its rapid development of “health stations,” where arrivals will serve their two weeks of quarantine. This initiative is exemplified by a 5,000 bed facility in Guangzhou, located 20 miles (32.2km) from Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport. Guests communicate with staff through an in-room intercom, with meals served by robot. Story has more. <br/>