China’s role in international aviation – and tourism – in 2025. The CAPA-ACTE Global Summit

The CATA-ACTE Global Summit in Amsterdam explored some of the changes that will likely come to Chinese aviation and tourism by 2025. The viability of secondary markets has a mixed prognosis as British Airways exits Chengdu, but Vancouver airport expects sustainability from the secondary cities it is linked to - some of the first secondary routes from Chinese airlines.

Partnerships and joint ventures are expanding and becoming more pressing subjects. oneworld is without a mainland Chinese partner, while China Eastern is exploring partnerships outside its SkyTeam alliance: it has a JV with Qantas and a partnership with BA, but Delta's minority equity investment gives it footing. Partnerships will influence, or be preceded by, liberalisation - including eventual China-US open skies.

Although the Chinese outbound travel market is celebrated for its growth, a downturn can occur just as quickly. While visa liberalisation with Morocco has resulted in the country becoming a new popular market for Chinese visitors, terror attacks in France have reduced visitor growth not only in France but also in neighbouring countries, as visitors shun the region.