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Tourism policies in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) often focus on stimulating inbound tourism to spur the sector’s development. However, to achieve a sustainable long-term recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers in EMDEs must embrace a more holistic approach that encompasses measures to increase outbound tourism. Encouraging outbound tourism can benefit the origin country in multiple ways. A substantial share of the expenditures incurred by outbound tourists tends to benefit domestic businesses (Seetaram, 2012), which translates into significant gains for the domestic tourism sector. For example, outbound tourists often patronize travel agents and shop for travel-related goods in their domestic economies. This effect is particularly relevant in economies with a small inbound tourism sector. In addition, outbound tourism can be an important way for a country to strengthen its “soft power”(Xu, Wang, & Song, 2020). China, for example, has long used outbound tourism to promote its foreign policy goals (Chaziza, 2019). Finally, the interaction of outbound tourists with the local population in the destination country can promote the origin country’s image as a travel destination, resulting in greater inbound tourism flows. Outbound tourists can also provide a source of credible information on the origin country, which is especially important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic (Li, Chen, Huang, Wanichwasin, & Cui, 2021; Rua, 2020).