Using Weibo to track global mobility of Chinese visitors

Global tourist mobility has come under increased scrutiny due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Tourists, who have been heralded as vectors of economic development, have now become the transmitters that governments are seeking to prevent from entering their national borders (Yang, Zhang, & Chen, 2020). The analysis of global mobility patterns has, therefore, never been more pertinent. Even before the coronavirus crisis, countries have shown some interest in the broader mobility patterns of travellers, including for reasons of resources (Becken, 2002; Leiper, 1989; Lew & McKercher, 2006), border security, visa policies, and economic alliances (Pham, Phi, Becken, Jin, & Su, 2018).