BEIJING (Reuters) -&nbsp;China&nbsp;expects&nbsp;its&nbsp;tourism&nbsp;market to flourish this&nbsp;year, starting with a busy and robust summer travel season as travellers flock to vacation destinations after the government ended its zero-COVID policy that kept people home for almost three&nbsp;years.
Domestic&nbsp;tourism&nbsp;revenue in 2023 could reach about 4 trillion yuan ($580.8 billion), a&nbsp;year-on-year&nbsp;increase of about 95%, and recover to about 71% of 2019 levels, according to data from the&nbsp;China&nbsp;Tourism&nbsp;Academy.
Domestic tourist numbers are expected to reach around 4.55 billion in 2023, up 80%&nbsp;year-on-year, while inbound and outbound tourists numbers are seen at more than 90 million, doubling&nbsp;year-on-year&nbsp;and recovering to 31.5% of pre-pandemic levels.
In 2022, the number of domestic tourists nationwide was 25.3 billion, down 22.1%&nbsp;year-on-year, according to the data.
"It is expected that the&nbsp;tourism&nbsp;market will enter a new channel of expected strengthening in the second quarter, and the summer vacation is expected to usher in a full recovery," the report said.
Travel service providers were hit particularly hard during the pandemic. After&nbsp;China&nbsp;scrapped its stringent COVID policies, travel across the country ramped up, especially during the week-long Lunar New&nbsp;Year&nbsp;holiday, which saw a surge in trips.
($1 = 6.8877 Chinese yuan)
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(Reporting by Bernard Orr; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

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China expects sharp rebound in tourism this year