The US is losing its appeal to Chinese tourists. According to a survey conducted last month, by Morning Consult, a US-based business intelligence company, one in five Chinese adults say they will ‘definitely’ travel internationally when they get the chance –but the the US does not appear to be at the top of their list any longer.

In a poll of 1000 potential travellers in China, there was a 23% increase in the number who have travel plans in the coming year, but only 35% interested in travelling to the US and 93% of these said fear of violent crime could discourage them.

Nearly 60% of respondants cited gun violence in the US as a main reason not to visit.

By contrast, 54% are interested in visiting Europe.

The report said violent crime fears “outpace other concerns such as Covid-19 exposure, costs and deteriorating US-China relations.”

Before the pandemic Mainland China was the third-largest source market for tourism to the US.

“Those who have seen, read or heard about the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, are far more likely to cite violent crime as a reason not to travel to the United States”, Scott Moskowitz, a geopolitical risk analyst at Morning Consult said.

“An outsize Chinese media coverage of US gun violence, and especially mass shootings, is likely driving these fears.”