TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Chinese government announced that beginning Thursday (Aug. 10), Chinese travel agencies can resume outbound tour packages for Chinese citizens to 78 different countries, including Japan, South Korea, the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and Australia.

Chinese group tours are currently allowed to visit 138 different countries. Typically, only package tours are permitted, and China has yet to announce the resumption of group travel to Taiwan.

On Feb. 6, China approved group travel to 20 countries, mostly in Asia. On March 10, it permitted travel to a second batch of 40 countries, mostly in Europe, per UDN.

It is generally easier for Chinese citizens to obtain travel visas to developed countries as part of a group tour than on an individual basis, which may be subject to wealth requirements or demonstrated professional skills. After a three-year break due to the pandemic, many countries are now eager to host Chinese tourists, potentially boosting their domestic economies.

Both China and Taiwan enforce a ban on group travel to each other, respectively. Politics is primarily to blame for the impasse in cross-strait travel, though new leadership and business interests may soon prevail as tourism returns to pre-pandemic levels.