Tariff Spat Could Chill China-U.S. Travel Even Without a Trade War
Skift Take
Travel companies were spared the first round of the U.S.-China trade war. But outbound travel to the United States and U.S. hospitality companies could become collateral damage without too much provocation.
While China and the United States may be working to dodge a trade war, the U.S. travel industry faces a broader battle to hold the interest of Chinese travelers as tariff-related tensions between the two countries flare.
It doesn’t take any kind of official policy or direct action on the part of China’s government to bring travel to a particular destination, including the United States, to a sudden halt.
Witness only the unofficial ban on travel to South Korea and parallel restriction on Korean popular culture in China in 2016. To put the impact of Korean TV content and music in proper perspective, imagine if “Downton Abbey” enjoyed such popularity in the United States that it was shown in primetime, on NBC.
Then add three or four other UK-produced series that also became major influencers for fashion and music
