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Chinese travelers visit tourist hot-spots across Asia as travel exceeds pre-pandemic levels
Chinese travelers flocked to tourist hot-spots across Asia over the Lunar New Year break, with visitor numbers and spending in destinations including Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia exceeding pre-COVID levels.
Visa-free access for Chinese tourists to the Southeast Asia countries boosted traffic and signalled a robust revival in travel since Beijing lifted strict COVID restrictions in early 2023 that had all but shut China’s borders for three years.
The increase provides welcome relief to countries that rely on the Chinese and their spending, although the outlook for a sustained recovery in overseas travel is overshadowed by a sluggish mainland economy and volatile markets that have seen consumers tighten their belts at home.
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“Despite the macroeconomic headwinds, we believe Chinese citizens are still willing to spend on travel-related experiences … we think travel-related spending could continue to outpace this overall domestic consumption,” HSBC said in a research note.
Bookings to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia combined jumped more than 30% from Feb. 10-17 compared with 2019, according to travel website operator Trip.com, with Chinese visitors to Hong Kong, Macau, Japan and South Korea also increasing.
The holiday in 2024 lasted for eight days, one day more than the Lunar New year break in 2019.
Bangkok’s International Airport welcomes the first group of Chinese tourists who have arrived under a five-month visa-free entry period in Thailand on Sept. 25, 2023. (REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo)
Reflecting the boost from visa waivers, hotel bookings for Bangkok tripled over the period from Feb. 10-13 year-on-year, while those for Singapore jumped nine-fold, according to travel platform LY.com.
Spending in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia combined on the Chinese mobile payment platform Alipay increased 7.5% in the period from Feb. 9-12 from 2019 levels and nearly 7-fold from last year, Alipay said.
However, overall consumer spending only recovered to 82% of levels four years ago, the company said.
Data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand put the number of Chinese tourist arrivals over the holiday at nearly 244,000, beating forecasts, and up more than six-fold from 2023. Spending was about 8.6 billion baht ($239 million) versus 1.3 billion baht in 2023.
MIDDLE EAST SURGE
As Chinese scour for new adventures, the Middle East proved a popular Lunar New Year destination, with travel to Saudi Arabia up more than nine-fold from 2019 levels and bookings to United Arab Emirates climbing 60%, Trip.com said.
The gambling hub of Macau, the only place in China where citizens can legally gamble in casinos, was visited by more than a million Chinese tourists over the holiday, with average hotel occupancy rates reaching 95%, according to official data.
The jump in tourists bodes well for some of the world’s largest casino operators in the former Portuguese territory, including Sands China and Wynn Macau.
JP Morgan said in a note it expected daily gross gaming revenues for the peak of the holiday to hit $124 million for the first time in more than four years – higher than the $112 million generated during the October 2023 Golden Week holiday.
Mass gaming rates were forecast to have reached 120% of pre-COVID levels, it said, adding that it expects February gross gaming revenues to rise by at least 80% year-on-year to $2.36 billion, the highest in more than four years.
Across the border in Hong Kong, leader John Lee said on Tuesday more than 1.2 million Chinese tourists visited the city over Lunar New Year, with hotel occupancy rates reaching 90% in the first few days.
South Korea’s Justice Ministry said more than 114,000 Chinese visitors entered the country during the holiday, up 4% from 2019, while some travel agents noted tourists were increasingly opting to travel on their own rather than in groups, which meant fewer organized trips to mega-stores.
“With drops in the number of group tourists, we don’t get to see Chinese tourists carrying big shopping bags anymore,” an official at a travel agency in Seoul told Reuters, requesting not to be named as he is not authorized to speak to media.
That trend was also seen in Thailand.
“Vendors said there were not many buyers. We also see Chinese tourists carrying very little things. In the past, they went shopping and came back with a pile of things,” said Paisarn Sukjarean, president of the Thai Hotels Association’s Northern Upper Chapter.
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In Japan, department store operator Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings said that through to Feb. 14 “duty-free sales were significantly higher than the previous year, partly due to the Chinese New Year”.
A shift in holiday tastes was reflected in some data as travellers sought more experience-based trips, with Alipay reporting Chinese tourists globally spent 70% more on food and beverages compared with pre-COVID levels.
Trip.com said overseas car rentals on its platform jumped 53% compared to 2019 and tickets for scenic experiences abroad soared more than 130%.
The Bengals used the final pick of the fourth round on Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young, who might have gone higher than No. 140 overall if not for an off-the-field red flag.
“I think Colbie is just an outstanding complement [to the receivers the Bengals have],” coach Zac Taylor said, via a livestream from the team. “Fortunate to get him in the fourth round. We obviously had a higher value on him than where we actually got him. I just think he’s a great target for Joe [Burrow], great catch radius. Can use him in a lot of different ways.”
Young missed nine games to end the 2024 season after his arrest on misdemeanor charges of battery and assault on an unborn child. He pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct in January 2025 after his accuser recanted her statement, and the initial charges were dropped.
Young served 12 months’ probation, paid a $500 fine and attended a family violence intervention program.
Taylor said the team did its “due diligence” and that “if we didn’t feel comfortable, we wouldn’t have done it.”
“Just talking to all the humans we talked to that really stood on the table for him, and Georgia returned him to play,” Taylor said. “So Georgia went through the whole process, returned him to play. So just felt really comfortable with the person we’re adding to our locker room, the person we’re adding to our community. Just all of us getting to know the kid. Just feel really, really comfortable with bringing Colbie in here.”
Young fractured his left fibula and tore a ligament, which required surgery and sidelined him for six games last season. He finished his final college season with 26 receptions for 358 yards and a touchdown.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Prominent owner Mike Repole has had plenty of bad luck in the Kentucky Derby.
He got another dose of it Saturday when his colt Renegade drew the dreaded No. 1 starting gate for the 152nd running of next weekend’s race — a post position that hasn’t produced a Derby winner since Ferdinand in 1986.
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Despite the starting position, Renegade opens as the betting favorite to win at 4-1.
Repole, the beverage magnate of Vitaminwater and Bodyarmor fame who is now also running the United Football League, is 0-for-8 at the Derby and has had the favorite scratch twice on the eve of the race due to last-minute physical problems. Drawing inside would appear to be one more gut punch; however, with Renegade’s come-from-behind running style, jockey Irad Ortiz will have little choice but to take him to the back of the field to avoid the crush of traffic that typically occurs on the first turn as riders try to get their horses in position.
Renegade moved to the front of the Derby contenders last month with an impressive win in the Arkansas Derby for Repole and co-owners Robert and Lawana Low, blowing past the field on the far turn to hit the wire four lengths in front. Renegade will give trainer Todd Pletcher, who has started a record 65 horses in the Derby, a chance at his third winner.
Other contenders had better luck in Saturday’s post position draw.
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Further Ado, who blew away the Blue Grass Stakes field by 11½ lengths, will come out of the No. 18 post position under 54-year old jockey John Velazquez, who has won this race three times. Further Ado is owned by Spendthrift Farm, which expected to be here instead with Ted Noffey, last year’s 2-year-old champion who was forced off the Derby trail this spring due to injury.
After those two, the top-three finishers of the Florida Derby — Commandment, The Puma and Chief Wallabee — also figure to get significant support from bettors. Commandment will start from the No. 6 post, The Puma drew No. 9 while Chief Wallabee ended up in the No. 12 hole.
Chief Wallabee is trained by Bill Mott, who won this race last year with Sovereignty and Country House in 2019. His son, Riley Mott, is making his Derby debut with two starters: Wood Memorial winner Albus and Virginia Derby winner Incredibolt.
“He’s been here before, he’s been around me, and he’s known everything I think about and everything that can happen,” Bill Mott said. “He’s got some experience here, even though this is his first one.”
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Bob Baffert has two entries, led by Potente, a $2.4 million purchase as a yearling who finished second in the Santa Anita Derby on April 4. Potente drew the No. 14 post position.
Baffert is trying to officially win a record seventh Derby — which he did already in 2021 with Medina Spirit, only to have the victory taken away due to a positive test for betamethasone, which Baffert claimed was used to treat a skin condition but is not allowed in the horse’s system on race day.
That incident led to Churchill Downs banning Baffert from the racetrack for two years, which became a three-year ban as Baffert refused to admit fault. Ultimately, they came to an agreement for Baffert to return last year with Citizen Bull, who finished 15th.
With space for 20 horses in the starting gate, eligibility for the Kentucky Derby is determined by a system where horses have the opportunity to accumulate points in any of 50 pre-determined prep races around the world going back to last fall.
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Trainer Steve Asmussen withdrew Chip Honcho on Saturday morning to point for the Preakness, opening up a spot for a second Baffert entry with Litmus Test, who drew the No. 4 post.
Four horses are listed as alternates — Great White, Ocelli, Robusta and Corona de Oro — in case there are scratches before the field is locked in on Friday. That happens regularly during Derby week, including in 2022 when Rich Strike got in at the last moment and became one of the longest shots to ever win the race at 80-1 odds.
Kentucky Derby early odds, from Post 1 to 20
1. Renegade 4-1
2. Albus 30-1
3. Intrepido 50-1
4. Litmus Test 30-1
5. Right to Party 30-1
6. Commandment 6-1
7. Danon Bourbon 20-1
8. So Happy 15-1
9. The Puma 10-1
10. Wonder Dean 30-1
11. Incredibolt 20-1
12. Chief Wallabee 8-1
13. Silent Tactic 20-1
14. Potente 20-1
15. Emerging Market 15-1
16. Pavlovian 30-1
17. Six Speed 50-1
18. Further Ado 6-1
19. Golden Tempo 30-1
20. Fulleffort 20-1
ST. HELENA PARISH, La. (WAFB) – Authorities are warning people to avoid one part of St. Helena Parish following a pipeline blowout.
According to the St. Helena Parish Sheriff’s Office, the blowout happened Saturday along Nesom Road off of Highway 16.
Officials said they evacuated some residents living near where the incident took place. Many of the impacted people live on Nesom Road, Dennis Lee Road, and Burkett Lane.
According to the sheriff’s office, no one will be allowed back into the surrounding neighborhoods until the all clear is given.
No injuries have been reported.
Any potential leak following the blowout has been stopped.
Louisiana State Police and multiple fire departments have been notified of the situation.
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