+93% International Trips in China

China’s outbound tourism is back in full force. In summer 2024, data from TravelSky showed a 93% year-on-year jump in international flight bookings from China, with nearly 145,000 scheduled international departures and close to 7 million bookings between July and August alone. Domestic travel also grew 23%, crossing 18 million flight bookings over the same period. These are not recovery numbers anymore. This is a market running at full speed.

For any tourism business targeting Chinese travelers, this growth creates real and immediate opportunity. The question is how to position yourself to capture a share of it.

Where Chinese Travelers Are Going

Asia remains the first choice for most Chinese outbound travelers. Short flight times, familiar food options, mobile payment acceptance, and visa-free or visa-on-arrival access make Asian destinations the easiest choice for travelers with limited annual leave. The top cities in 2024 and early 2025 include Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, Phuket, and Macau.

Japan has benefited especially from the weak yen. Japan welcomed over 3 million Chinese visitors for multiple consecutive months in mid-2024, a 305% surge compared to the same period in 2023. Thailand saw nearly 2.5 million Chinese visitors in the first four months of 2024 alone, making Chinese tourists the single largest group of visitors to the country, according to Trip.com data.

Beyond Asia, Europe is growing fast. Air China expanded its international network toward 90% of pre-pandemic capacity in 2024, adding new routes like Beijing to Dhaka and Chengdu to Milan, and increasing frequency on existing routes to Copenhagen, Singapore, and other major hubs. Long-haul travel is recovering for Chinese tourists, and destinations that invested in Chinese marketing during the recovery period are reaping the rewards now.

How Chinese Travelers Spend

Chinese tourists are high spenders by global standards. A 2024 Visa survey found that Chinese mainland tourists rank third globally in travel spending in South Korea, concentrating on retail outlets, department stores, and clothing. In Thailand, Chinese visitors drive significant revenue in health, wellness, and spa tourism. In Japan, the weak yen pushed Chinese shopping spend to record levels on luxury goods, skincare, and local products.

The spending profile of Chinese travelers is also shifting. Younger travelers in their 20s and 30s, particularly women, are the fastest-growing segment. They spend heavily on experience-led activities, food, and content creation for social media, not just traditional shopping. A great meal, a scenic location, or a local craft workshop can drive as much spending as a luxury boutique, because the social media content from that experience has value in itself.

The Digital Path from China to Your Destination

Almost every Chinese traveler starts their trip online, on Chinese platforms. According to CNTA (China National Tourism Administration), over 90% of Chinese outbound travelers research destinations digitally before booking. They use Douyin for inspiration, Xiaohongshu for detailed planning, Ctrip or Trip.com for booking, and WeChat for everything else including payments and customer service.

Destinations that appear in Chinese social media content, either through KOL posts, user-generated content, or targeted advertising on these platforms, get found. Those that rely solely on Google, TripAdvisor, or Instagram do not exist for the Chinese traveler market. The rules are different, and the platforms are different.

Data from Xinhua News Agency confirms that social media platforms now play a bigger role in Chinese outbound travel decisions than any other information source, surpassing travel agency recommendations and word of mouth for the first time in 2024.

Why Your Chinese Digital Presence Matters

• Chinese website with ICP license and China hosting (Alibaba Cloud or Tencent Cloud): a site that does not load in China is a destination that does not exist for Chinese travelers. This is step one.
• Douyin: with 750 million daily active users in 2024, Douyin is where Chinese travelers discover destinations. Travel content goes viral here faster than anywhere else in the world.
• Xiaohongshu (RED): the go-to platform for trip planning and destination research. Chinese travelers trust reviews and guides from real users on RED far more than brand advertising.
• Baidu SEO and PPC: Baidu handles over 60% of Chinese search queries. Appearing on Baidu for relevant travel keywords in Mandarin puts you in front of active buyers.
• WeChat: once travelers engage with your brand, WeChat keeps them connected. Use it for loyalty programs, direct bookings, and customer care in Chinese.

See how we can help at our services page. For platform-specific support, visit our pages on Douyin marketing and WeChat marketing.

Chinese Outbound Travel by the Numbers: 2024-2025

Metric	Data Point
International flight growth (summer 2024)	+93% year-on-year
Chinese visitors to Thailand (Jan-Apr 2024)	2.5 million, largest visitor group
Chinese visitors to Japan (monthly peak 2024)	+305% vs same month 2023
Top non-Asian destination	London
Social media trip research rate	Over 90% of Chinese outbound travelers

FAQ

Which destinations are benefiting most from the return of Chinese tourists?

Japan and Thailand lead in Asia, driven by ease of access, visa policies, and strong value propositions for Chinese travelers. In Europe, France, Italy, and the UK have seen the strongest recovery. Within the Middle East, Dubai has grown significantly as a long-haul destination for affluent Chinese travelers. The common thread among all of these: they actively marketed to Chinese travelers through Chinese digital platforms during the recovery, and they accepted Chinese payment methods like Alipay and WeChat Pay.

Are Chinese travelers going back to group tours or traveling independently?

The shift toward independent travel (FIT) that started before the pandemic has accelerated. Particularly among travelers under 40, self-planned trips using Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Chinese OTAs are now the dominant model. Group tours still exist for older travelers and for long-haul destinations where language barriers are a real concern. But for most Chinese outbound trips today, the traveler is planning their own itinerary, booking directly or through OTAs, and using social media as their main guide.

What is the best way for a destination to get on Chinese travelers’ radar?

The most effective approach is a combination of Chinese social media content and Chinese OTA listings. Getting a travel KOL with a relevant audience to create content about your destination on Douyin or Xiaohongshu creates organic reach that advertising cannot replicate. Pair that with a Chinese-language website that loads in China, Baidu SEO for organic search traffic, and listings on Trip.com and Ctrip, and you have a solid foundation. The whole system works together: a traveler sees your destination on Douyin, checks Xiaohongshu for more detail, then books on Ctrip. You need to be present at each step.

Is the 93% growth in international Chinese travel sustainable?

The 93% figure was a rebound comparison against 2023, which itself was still in partial recovery. Growth will normalize as the base gets larger. But the underlying trend is real and long-term: China has a growing middle class, rising incomes, and a strong appetite for international travel. The China Outbound Tourism Research Institute projects Chinese outbound trips will reach 160 million by 2027. That is not a blip, it is a structural shift in global tourism.

Make Chinese Travelers Part of Your Growth Plan

The surge in Chinese outbound travel is not slowing down. The destinations and businesses that move quickly to build Chinese digital presences, accept Chinese payments, and create content in Mandarin are the ones that will capture a disproportionate share of this growing market. We help you do exactly that. Start the conversation on our services page.

Marcus Zhan is a digital strategist at GMA with over 10 years of experience helping international brands grow in China. He specializes in Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Chinese SEO.