A traveler wearing a face mask is seen at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, Feb. 2, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

The US announcement that it will ease restrictions on international travelers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from countries and regions, including China, will help boost the recovery of bilateral trade, economic exchanges and tourism, Chinese analysts said on Tuesday.

The US will lift restrictions on foreign travelers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from 33 countries and regions, including China, starting from early November, while the final decision on what vaccines would be recognized has not been revealed yet, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients.  

White House spokesperson Jen Psaki confirmed the announcement during a press briefing on Monday. 

Analysts pointed out that the US lifting restrictions on China on the premise that the US would certify the validity of Chinese vaccines is a positive signal and recognition of the achievements of China in the battle against the epidemic, while acknowledging the importance of the Chinese market.

"If the restrictions are relaxed and the US accepts Chinese vaccines, the number of people who need to travel to the US would increase, as there is also demand for family visits and business cooperation other than tourism," Jiang Yiyi, deputy head of the School of Leisure Sports and Tourism under the Beijing Sport University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Jiang emphasized that consumption by Chinese tourists in the US ranked top in the country's annual tourism revenue before the pandemic, reflecting the importance and driving effect of Chinese tourists to the recovery of the US tourism industry and related sectors such as transportation, accommodation and retail.

In 2018, Chinese travelers made nearly 150 million trips around the world and spent $277 billion, with more than $36 billion spent in the US, according to data from the World Economic Forum. 

"Lifting restrictions is conducive to the promotion and recovery of bilateral economic and trade exchanges and the recovery of normal international tourism," said Jiang. 

However, uncertainties remain as the detailed measures have yet to be rolled out

The final decision on what vaccines will be accepted will be decided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which considers someone fully vaccinated with any FDA-authorized or approved vaccines and any vaccines that the World Health Organization has authorized, according to Reuters, which cited US CDC spokesperson Kristen Nordlund.

An agent who help students visas surnamed Peng based in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality surnamed Peng said that the company hasn't received any information about whether people holding tourist visas can enter the US, and no one has booked a flight to the US with a tourist visa. 

Peng said that the detailed impact of the policy and whether there will be a growing number of people traveling to the US are uncertain.