Travel Daily Media was on-site at the 2026 edition of ITB China at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre in Pudong, Shanghai, China from 26th to 28th May.

The precursor to next year’s landmark 10th anniversary edition, ITB China 2026 is officially the largest staged so far, with more than 900 exhibitors featuring the best in travel, hospitality, travel tech, and commercial aviation from 85 nations.

Likewise, the event offered a closer look into the direction regional and global tourism stand to take over the second half of 2026 and possibly beyond.

Geopolitical and socioeconomic circumstances notwithstanding, tourism is alive, well, and thriving in China as it works to draw in more travellers from overseas through more lenient visa policies, as well as collaborations between themselves and other nations or private travel-centric entities.

With that said, today’s feature highlights some key learnings from ITB China 2026, along with several pressing issues and what may be done about them.

China’s visa-free policies are working

One major finding in the soon-to-be-released ITB China Travel Trends Report 2026-2027 is the way the country’s more relaxed visa policies, which now include visa-free entry for several countries in both Asia and Europe, have boosted arrival numbers over the past year.

At the time of the conference, Chinese tourism and immigration authorities reported that 30.8 million foreign travellers made their way to the country throughout 2025.

It may be recalled that, in April of last year, China allowed visa-free entry for nationals from 74 countries, spanning practically all of Western Europe, as well as Malaysia and Uzbekistan.

Per an April 2026 report from KPMG, increased leniency for visa applications from overseas and the streamlining of related processes isn’t just meant to support inbound travel, but also to boost service sector exports. 

As the report states: “By widening the scope of visa‑free entry and mutual exemption agreements, organizations may experience greater flexibility for business, tourism, education, and healthcare travel, alongside more predictable entry processes for eligible foreign nationals.”

It is also important to note that the presence of new countries like Mexico and the Philippines on the exhibition floor, as well as the call of German Travel Association president Albin Loidl for greater cooperation between China and Europe are all paving the way for an even greater influx of foreign arrivals in the near future.

Diversification of scope

For the most part, Chinese inbound tourism has revolved around cultural tourism offerings leading to key historic and archaeological sites throughout the country.

Now, experts at Messe Berlin (China), Tourism Economics, Ant International, and Fliggy have pinpointed four potential growth areas for the sector that go beyond these.

Luxury tourism

Ascentium’s China Briefing pointed out in December 2025 that the Chinese luxury travel industry is currently worth US$165.57 billion and is presently growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of up to nine percent. 

Sectoral growth is currently being driven by retail travel and gastronomic experiences featuring regional specialities. 

Interestingly high net-worth Chinese are now shifting away from branded experiences and getting into what is being referred to as quiet luxury, a wellness-centric approach that draws travellers to spa retreats, bespoke staycations, as well as immersive and authentic cultural experiences;

Adventure and sports tourism

We noticed that there was a larger number of Central African travel agencies and tour operators exhibiting at this year’s event, and practically all were pitching responsible safari (shooting with cameras rather than rifles) packages to Chinese buyers.

Indeed, adventure tourism is seriously becoming big business in China: a report from Technavio pegs the industry’s value in the country as high as US$698 billion, given the diverse adventures taken by Chinese travellers which range from mountaineering and safari to extreme sports and participation in high-visibility global sporting events like the various editions of Ironman and HYROX.

With regard to sports tourism, we’re taking a cue from the panel How Outdoor Sports are Redrawing Our Travel Map wherein Spade Youth Winter Sports Club founder Ryan Han and Benchmark Adventure managing associate David Chen pointed out how sports are redefining family travel throughout the country: families are taking the time to book trips where they can indulge in their favourite sports or bond together whilst learning new sports such as pickleball and skiing.

Both Chen and Han added that, due to the risky nature of many sporting experiences, the government may need to step in to regulate in the name of traveller health and safety. 

Educational tourism

Over the years, educational tourism in China has grown by leaps and bounds, especially after the pandemic. 

While traditional yanxue (domestic study programmes) and international exchange programmes were suspended between 2020 and 2022, the sector has rebounded strongly and is currently worth around US$141.1 billion as of 2025.

The Future Market Insights report likewise attributes sectoral growth to an increase in demand for specialised programmes such as Chinese language courses, professional training in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as well as in-person business management seminars. 

Cruises

Experts at ITB China also pointed out how the country’s cruise market has been growing at a rapid clip of late.

At the moment, the Chinese domestic cruise sector currently ferries up to 14 million passengers per annum and is expected to grow its worth by up to US$70 billion by 2035.

With regard to cruises sailing outside the country, Chinese travellers tend to book voyages running four to seven days to nearby locations like Japan and South Korea.

Thanks to the growing number of Chinese nationals coming aboard, international cruise operators are working to augment their services to cater to this particular market in terms of language, food preferences, and even onboard entertainment.

Photos by Marga Manlapig