Recent reports featured at ITB China yesterday, 26th May, reveal that the Asian giant’s tourism industry grew significantly over the past year.
In a report presented during the Sino-European Union Dialogue, first-level inspector Xu Rong of the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Bureau of International Exchanges stated that China has entered the next phase of development with regard to mass tourism.
Speaking in Mandarin, Xu said: “Tourism has become a necessity for people’s pursuit of a better life. Last year, domestic trips in China reached 6.522 billion, a year-on-year increase of 16.2 percent. Outbound trips by mainland Chinese residents totalled 168 million, while inbound trips reached 154 million.”
Of the latter, it was noted that 30.8 million were foreign nationals making the most of China’s visa-free policies with their home nations, their numbers up by around 50 percent from 2024.
Consequently, the Chinese tourism economy achieved a year-on-year growth rate of 9.9 percent.
Evolving travel demands
Xu went on to say that the travel demands of her people are becoming more diverse and have, of late, begun to shift to lifestyle-centric, high-quality experiences.
She said: “New trends and business models are constantly emerging, marking a new stage of high quality development for China’s tourism industry.”
Significant trends over the past couple of years have included concert tours featuring popular recording artists; sports tourism, study tours centred on the world’s intangible cultural heritage, gastronomic exploration, as well as rural tourism which has helped boost livelihoods in some of the country’s farthest locations.
The 2026-2027 ITB China Travel Trends Report: an overview
Earlier in the day, Messe Berlin (China) deputy managing director Lydia Li presented attendees several key excerpts from the ITB China Travel Trends Report 2026-2027 which was a collaborative endeavour with Tourism Economics, digital technology firm Ant International, and online travel platform Fliggy.
Li remarked in Mandarin: “China is not only a pivotal market in terms of global travel, but it is also becoming more mature, more independent, and more experience-oriented.”
As stated above, a significant number of Chinese nationals went on outbound trips in the past year, with Japan, Thailand, South Korea, and the United States ranking among their top four destinations.
However, this is bound to change as the latest report shows several emergent destinations of choice among Chinese travellers: Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Iceland, and Cambodia.
Per the data, Nordic destinations are piquing the interest of Chinese travellers thanks to their truly unique cultures and natural phenomena; while Cambodia made the list thanks to its expanding range of value for money experiences.
Li also pointed out three specific things that the Chinese want from the trips that they plan and take:
- Destinations should offer authentic and unique experiences to travellers;
- While these should offer value for money, price is not everything and travellers are willing to pay for truly memorable experiences; and
- Trips must offer optimal flexibility through customisation based on individual preferences.
Advantages and disadvantages
With regard to China as a destination in and of itself, Li pointed out that the country has improved significantly over the past year in terms of attractions, amenities, and services.
Indeed, the report lists China’s key advantages which includes its diverse historical and cultural attractions, magnificent natural landscapes, gastronomic diversity, and overall security.
This, however, does not mean that the country earns perfect marks for tourism; it still needs to address the long-standing language barrier that continues to challenge foreign travellers, the cost of flights in terms of both length and fare, challenging payment methods, as well as standards for hygiene and safety.
