10 Tips to attract Chinese Tourists in 2025
10 expert tips to attract Chinese tourists in 2025
Strategies from Chinese Tourist Agency, the leading agency for Chinese travel marketing.
China is the number one source of tourists in the world, and that market is back. Here’s what you need to know before trying to reach it.
- China was and will be the top tourist-sending country, with 160 million or more outbound trips per year by 2026
- Chinese travelers are among the biggest spenders internationally, averaging around $1,000 USD per day abroad
- The majority of Chinese tourists combine cultural tourism with shopping
- 80% of Chinese see vacations as a shopping opportunity and many specifically seek luxury
- Most Chinese do not speak English fluently. This is a real obstacle to spending. If your staff can’t communicate with them, they won’t buy.
In 2024, Chinese outbound travel recovered to roughly 130 million trips, according to UNWTO data, and spending per trip has increased significantly since 2019. Fewer travelers, but more money per traveler.
1. Use social media platforms where Chinese travelers actually spend time
Chinese travelers rely heavily on Xiaohongshu (RED), Douyin (China’s TikTok), and WeChat for travel inspiration and booking decisions. Create short, visual content showing real experiences. Work with micro-influencers (KOCs) for authentic recommendations. Their audience trusts them more than brand advertising.
- Post 15-second Douyin clips of cultural gems, local food, or hidden spots.
- Use Xiaohongshu to share detailed itineraries and shopping guides.
2. Accept Alipay, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay
Over 80% of Chinese tourists prefer mobile payments. Accept Alipay and WeChat Pay and display QR codes prominently. If you can’t accept these payment methods, Chinese tourists won’t spend as much at your property, sometimes nothing at all.
- Consider discounts for using these payment methods to encourage spending.
3. Make visa access easy to understand and easy to get
Destinations with relaxed visa policies saw very large increases in Chinese arrivals in 2024. Japan and Malaysia both saw surges of over 600% in Chinese visitors when visa friction was reduced. Promote visa-free stays or fast e-visa options in your marketing. Chinese travelers compare ease of entry when choosing between similar destinations.
4. List on Chinese OTAs: Trip.com and Fliggy
List your services on Trip.com (Ctrip) for luxury and business travelers, and Fliggy for millennials. These two platforms together cover the majority of Chinese online travel bookings. Create exclusive packages for Golden Week and Chinese New Year. Optimize your listings with Chinese-language descriptions, accurate photos, and the details that matter: electric kettles, slippers, Chinese TV channels.
5. Offer cultural depth and specific experiences
Chinese tourists in 2025 want to go deeper. “Vibes over views” is how younger travelers describe their priorities. Immersive activities: tea ceremonies, local festivals, anime-themed tours in Japan, artisan workshops, niche hobbies. Use Xiaohongshu to market hidden gem itineraries and hands-on local experiences. Generic “sightseeing packages” are not the product that converts this generation.
6. Be clear and honest about safety
Safety concerns caused a 13% drop in Chinese bookings to Thailand in 2024. Address safety directly in your marketing materials. Train staff to handle emergencies. Share real-time information via WeChat Official Accounts. Chinese travelers research safety before booking and share safety-related reviews after the trip.
7. Target the right traveler segments
- Senior travelers (Silver Economy): offer leisurely pacing, cultural depth, wine-tasting, and comfortable transport
- Adventure seekers: glacier hiking in New Zealand, desert camping in Morocco, wildlife safaris
- Families: kid-friendly attractions, panda sanctuaries, clear safety guarantees
- Couples and honeymooners: photogenic venues, wedding-friendly packages, Xiaohongshu-ready settings
8. Build a Chinese-language website and optimize for Baidu
Over 90% of Chinese travelers use Baidu for research. A mobile-friendly website in Mandarin, hosted where it loads fast in China (behind the Great Firewall), is a real competitive advantage. Automatic translation is not an option: a Google-translated website can be completely blocked in China. Use Baidu Maps for navigation links. Rank for the keywords your target audience actually searches.
9. Plan promotions around Chinese holidays
Chinese New Year in January or February, Golden Week in October, and Labor Day in May are the three main travel peaks. Plan your marketing at least six weeks in advance. Offer extended itineraries, limited-time perks like free airport transfers, and holiday-specific packages. Hotels that do nothing for these periods are handing business to competitors who do.
10. Train staff in Mandarin and Chinese cultural basics
Hire Mandarin-speaking guides where possible. Train all guest-facing staff in basic Chinese cultural awareness: don’t put guests in rooms or floors with the number 4 (linked to death in Chinese culture), offer rooms with the number 8 where available (considered lucky). Provide electric kettles, Chinese tea, and slippers as standard. UnionPay terminals at checkout. These things are noticed and talked about in reviews.
What do we know about Chinese tourists, and what do they need?
1. Understand your Chinese clients and respect their culture
Understanding what Chinese tourists want, and the motivations behind their behavior, is important for offering them your best services. The main reason they buy luxury or prefer VIP services and premium accommodation is the Chinese social concept of “show face”: demonstrating economic status through the environment, products, and gifts they choose for their friends.
Chinese culture is quite different from the West. Do your research before making mistakes. Chinese people are generally superstitious. Smart hotels give guests rooms with the number 8, considered a lucky number, while numbers 4 and 14 are associated with the word “death.”
2. Adapt your services
Chinese tourists are demanding but often won’t say directly what they don’t like. If you learn that through bad reviews, it’s already too late. Some hotel chains have designed exclusive programs for Chinese guests. Hilton, Marriott, and Starwood have all adapted food and room amenities. Most travel businesses dealing with high-end Chinese visitors know that their guests are not fond of intense sun or sunbathing, and plan activities accordingly.
3. Hire Mandarin-speaking staff
Mandarin-speaking staff can advise you on how to improve strategies for attracting Chinese clients. They also help you catch problems before they become reviews.
4. Create relevant content
Your website content must be interesting and specific. Remember the “face concept” in Chinese culture: your brand must look credible and prestigious. Localized content helps potential customers build confidence in you. But you also need to translate and optimize your site to make it visible and fast in China.
5. Translate and optimize your website
The Great Firewall slows down most foreign websites significantly in China. Your potential clients can’t load the content you’ve prepared for them if your site takes 30 seconds to open. Optimize your website for the Chinese internet and get a professional Mandarin translation done.
6. Build your visibility on Baidu
Use the Baidu search engine the way you’d use Google for a western audience. Rank higher for the keywords your target audience searches. More visitors means more potential clients.
7. Invest in your online reputation
Your website ranks well on Baidu, your services are strong. But Chinese internet users are very suspicious of unknowns because Chinese online platforms are full of scams. They will search everything they can find about your company before contacting you. Press releases and mentions on dedicated Chinese blogs and forums matter. The more positive information they find, the better your chance of being contacted.
8. Integrate Chinese payment systems
Most Chinese don’t have an international credit card and want to use their local payment methods when traveling overseas. Integrating Alipay and UnionPay removes a major friction point and increases how much Chinese clients spend with you.
9. Be on Chinese social media
Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and LinkedIn are all blocked in China. You need to be on Weibo, WeChat, and RED. Chinese tourists share their experiences widely. The better the experience, the more positive content they generate about you across Chinese platforms.
10. Run promotions and discounts
Chinese consumers respond well to discounts and special offers. Don’t hesitate to create targeted promotions for Chinese holidays and travel peaks. It increases interest and pulls people toward a purchase decision.
What CTA does for tourism operators targeting Chinese travelers
CTA builds full Chinese digital presence for hotels, tourism businesses, and destinations: Douyin, RED, WeChat, Baidu SEO, Ctrip profile management, KOL campaigns.
- Douyin: short-form video campaigns targeting Gen Z and millennials
- RED (Xiaohongshu): destination content, KOL and KOC partnerships, review management
- WeChat: official accounts, CRM, direct booking funnels
All services: chinesetouristagency.com/our-services/
Summary table
| Tip | Priority | Expected impact |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese social media (Douyin, RED, WeChat) | High | Discovery, inspiration, booking influence |
| Alipay and WeChat Pay | High | Removes payment friction, increases spend |
| OTA listing (Ctrip, Fliggy) | High | Direct bookings from China |
| Chinese website and Baidu SEO | Medium | Long-term organic traffic |
| Mandarin staff and cultural training | Medium | Guest satisfaction, better reviews |
| Chinese holiday promotions | Medium | Captures peak travel periods |
| Online reputation management | High | Trust building before first contact |
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Pedro Wang is the founder of Chinese Tourists Agency, based in Shanghai. He has helped tourism businesses across Europe and Asia reach Chinese travelers since 2012. For a direct conversation about your project, contact Pedro Wang here.
it is a really Great article about the Marketing for chinese tourists.
You are so specilized good luck for the future.
Thank you. 😉
very good article. I was wonder if you can provide list of Chinese travel agency and the right strategy to approach them .
Yes we can … we will guide you to success..
Send us an email. We will not reply by comment section. Hope you will understand 😉