Last month, the country announced it would reopen its borders for the first time since the onset of Covid-19 on 8 January, which will see the destination end its mandatory quarantine policy.

Wendy Wu Tours said the milestone represents "the final and undoubtedly one of the most eagerly anticipated reopenings" for Asia tourism following the pandemic.

Having experienced one of its busiest booking periods for China enquiries since 2019 last week, the operator is now preparing to host its first set of group tours in more than three years.

This week alone saw the operator receive almost 120% more enquiries for the destination compared to the previous week, with nearly 75% of enquiries coming from agents. 

Despite the positive uptick, uncertainty remains after the UK reintroduced Covid testing for arrivals from China following similar moves by the US, Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, Malaysia and India.

In response, the Chinese government threatened to impose reciprocal testing for arrivals from the west.

Cited by The Guardian speaking at a recent briefing, China’s foreign minister spokesperson Mao Ning said: "We are firmly opposed to attempts to manipulate the Covid measures for political purposes and will take countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity."

Meanwhile, Gary King, head of trade sales at Wendy Wu Tours, said: "Demand is strong, particularly for the autumn tours running through September to November, plus we’ve seen a steady spike for bookings throughout 2024 and even to 2025.

"Wendy Wu Tours will be the first escorted tour operator back in China, and so given this, we are encouraging agents to keep a close eye on our agents’ website and socials for full details of the reopening plus dates for our first departures."