Get free Expo tickets; New trends in sports tourism from the perspective of the Paris Olympics; Canada and many other countries reopen borders; Ministry of Culture and Tourism releases domestic tourism data for the first half of 2021...

　　Following the Tokyo Olympics, France officially became the host country for the 33rd Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games on August 8. The "Paris 8 Minutes" warm-up performance allowed the "romantic to the core" French people to steal the show. It is understood that, In addition to being held in traditional sports venues, the Paris Olympics will also combine renowned local architectural heritage and landmark sites with traditional sports events in innovative ways organizing events such as: watching the opening ceremony on the banks of the Seine, watching beach volleyball at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, archery at Les Invalides, cycling on the Champs-Élysées, fencing and taekwondo at the Grand Palais, equestrian events at the Palace of Versailles, triathlon at Pont d'Iéna, skateboarding at Place de la Concorde, surfing in Tahiti, etc. These not only create a brand new spectator experience but also have a powerful promotional and boosting effect on post-Olympic tourism. (Source: Pincheng Travel)

"For a sport, go to a city!" Sports tourism becomes a new consumption trend

　　The Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Mafengwo Travel jointly released the "China Sports Tourism Consumption Big Data Report (2021)". Data shows that the era of popular sports tourism is coming! Before the pandemic, the number of sports tourists showed an annual growth rate of 40%; in 2020, the total number of sports tourists reached 1 billion person-times, and the total consumption scale of sports tourism exceeded 1 trillion yuan; in the first half of 2021, the search popularity of "sports tourism" increased by 115% year-on-year; from June 13 to July 13, the popularity of "travel + sports" keywords on Trip.com's platform increased by 235% month-on-month. The pandemic has made people realize the value of health, and the demand for a high-quality life has led more people to integrate their sports hobbies into travel, thus boosting sports tourism consumption.
　　Domestically, popular island activities like diving, surfing, and paragliding have rapidly propelled Sanya to the top 1 sports tourism destination; "Dual Olympic City" Beijing ranks second. Internationally, Japan's Nara Marathon has become a distinctive marathon event in the running community with its "maple leaf season and running with Nara deer"; in the United States, Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort (Aspen Snowmass) is very popular because it often serves as the venue for the Ski World Cup finals, US Winter Olympics training base, X Games, FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships, and other international events. It is evident that, Major sports events can significantly enhance national tourism and city brand appeal 。
　　Nowadays, the sports tourism industry chain, dominated by participatory and spectator sports, is gradually becoming complete. 2021 is not only the year of major events such as the Tokyo Olympics, European Cup, and Copa América, but also the sprint year for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and the Qatar World Cup, ushering in a new peak for sports tourism development. (Source: China Tourism Academy)

International Travel

Saudi Arabia to welcome international tourists from August, with no quarantine and free medical coverage

　　Saudi Arabia will allow tourists with tourism visas to enter from August 1st. Travelers who have been vaccinated with officially recognized vaccines in Saudi Arabia (Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines) and can present their vaccination certificate upon arrival, along with a negative PCR test result within 72 hours before departure, will not be required to quarantine and can enter and exit directly. In the post-pandemic era, Saudi Arabia continues to promote electronic tourist visas, including tourists from China, can apply for visas online and will provide free medical coverage to tourists affected by COVID-19, truly living up to its reputation as a "wealthy nation" with the world's second-largest crude oil reserves!
　　Special congratulations also to Saudi Arabia: at the 44th World Heritage Committee session held in Fuzhou, China, on July 31, the Ḥimā Cultural Area in Najran Province was officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List . (Source: Al Arabiya)

Thailand to open Krabi and Phang Nga to vaccinated foreign tourists in mid-August
　　Following the launch of the "sandbox programs" in Phuket and Koh Samui, Thailand will reopen the nearby famous resort islands of Krabi Province and 007 movie filming location Phang Nga Province in mid-August to vaccinated international tourists. Krabi and Phang Nga plan to open selected areas under a "7+7" model: international tourists from medium-to-low risk countries, as long as they have received two full doses of vaccine ( both China's Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines are certified ), can enter Phuket without quarantine; the mandatory stay in Phuket is reduced from 14 days to 7 days, after which they can stay for another 7 nights in Krabi (Phi Phi Islands, Koh Ngai, and Railay Beach) and Phang Nga (Khao Lak and Koh Yao). (Source: TTG China)
Canada to reopen borders to global travelers in early September, hopes to resume charter flights with China

　　Effective September 7, Canada will allow fully vaccinated travelers from all countries (with vaccines recognized by Canada: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson) to enter Canada for unrestricted travel. All travelers must submit their personal information via the Canadian government's mobile APP “ArriveCAN” before boarding and provide a negative PCR test result, after which they can enter Canada without quarantine.
　　Currently, many Canadian provincial tourism boards have started actively attracting Chinese tourists, for example, 20 itineraries specifically designed for Chinese tourists and the Nova Scotia Tourism Agency especially hopes to resume direct charter flights with China as soon as possible . (Source: TTG China)

Get a free Expo ticket when flying to Dubai with Emirates

Expo 2020 Dubai will be held from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022. During this period, passengers who purchase tickets through official Emirates channels and fly to or from Dubai or transit through Dubai with Emirates can claim one free Expo 2020 Dubai one-day pass.

It is particularly noteworthy that, the Expo 2020 Dubai mascot robot "Opti" was exclusively developed and manufactured by a Chinese technology company At this most anticipated global event for technological innovation and cultural exchange, Opti will act as a "Global Goodwill Ambassador", providing intelligent services and interactive communication for heads of state, dignitaries from 192 countries, and 25 million tourists. It will also play a greater role in promoting cultural and technological exchanges and cooperation between China and Arab countries. (Source: TTG China)

Domestic Tourism

Ministry of Culture and Tourism: 1.871 billion domestic tourist visits in the first half of 2021

On July 29, the Finance Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism released data on domestic tourism in the first half of 2021: Total domestic tourist visits: 1.871 billion a 100.8% increase year-on-year (recovering to 60.9% of the same period in 2019); Total domestic tourism revenue (total tourism consumption): 16.3 trillion yuan a 157.9% increase year-on-year (recovering to 58.6% of the same period in 2019). (Source: China Tourism News)