Chinese Tourists Are Searching For Active Holidays

Chinese tourists are back and they are looking for something different. Not bus tours. Not selfies in front of famous buildings. They want to move, feel, and experience something real.

The demand for active and wellness holidays among Chinese travelers is one of the most significant shifts in the tourism market right now. If you run an adventure resort, a wellness retreat, a hiking operator, or any destination with outdoor activities, this is the market you should be targeting.

The Numbers: Chinese Tourism in 2025

Three data points that matter:

• Chinese domestic tourism generated over 5.5 trillion RMB in 2024, a record. Outdoor and adventure activities grew faster than any other category, according to China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism (mct.gov.cn).
• Chinese outbound travel exceeded 130 million trips in 2024. Southeast Asia, Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea were the top destinations. Active holiday packages to these regions sold significantly faster than traditional sightseeing tours.
• Ctrip data from 2025 shows that searches for “hiking trip,” “diving holiday,” and “wellness retreat” among Chinese users grew over 85% year-on-year in 2024, with bookings for active travel packages up 62%.

Why Chinese Tourists Are Choosing Active Holidays

Wellness and Mental Health Are Now Travel Priorities

Chinese travelers are increasingly seeking holidays that prioritize their physical and mental well-being. The years of pandemic restrictions created a strong desire for outdoor space, movement, and psychological reset. Hiking, yoga retreats, spa treatments, and nature immersion all rank high in post-pandemic Chinese travel searches. This is not a passing trend. It reflects a genuine and lasting shift in what Chinese travelers value when they have time off.

The New Desire for Authentic Experiences

The modern Chinese traveler has moved away from commercialized tourist spots. There is a genuine appetite for real, local experiences. Not the watered-down version designed for mass tourism, but actual immersion in local culture, food, and daily life. Active holidays deliver this naturally: you cannot hike through a mountain region or kayak through mangroves and feel like you are on a conveyor belt tour. The activity itself puts you in the middle of something authentic.

Social Media Drives the Trend

Douyin and Xiaohongshu are full of travel content creators showcasing off-the-beaten-path destinations, adventure experiences, and active travel stories. When a Chinese influencer posts a video of bungee jumping in New Zealand or paddleboarding in Hainan, their audience does not just watch: they save, share, and start planning. The viral nature of active travel content on these platforms keeps the trend growing among younger Chinese travelers.

Millennials and Gen Z Are Leading This Shift

Born in the age of digital connectivity and global exposure, China’s younger generation has a strong appetite for experiences that challenge them and give them stories to share. Traditional sightseeing packages no longer satisfy this group. They want to learn a new skill, conquer a physical challenge, and come back with something to talk about. Destinations that offer this attract and retain younger Chinese travelers.

Popular Active Holiday Activities Among Chinese Tourists

Trekking and Hiking

Trails rich in natural beauty and cultural history are the strongest draw. The Great Wall paths, Zhangjiajie’s famous terrain, the Tibetan plateau routes, and international destinations like Nepal, New Zealand, and the Swiss Alps all attract Chinese trekkers. Mountain experiences that combine physical challenge with impressive scenery score highest on Xiaohongshu sharing metrics.

Water Sports

Diving, snorkeling, and kayaking are growing fast among Chinese tourists with access to coastal and island destinations. The South China Sea, Andaman Sea, and destinations like Hainan, Palawan, and the Maldives are all on the active traveler’s map. These activities produce great social content and the underwater photography angle drives bookings from Xiaohongshu audiences.

Cycling Tours

Cycling through scenic countryside, historic routes, or urban cultural districts offers a pace that feels genuinely immersive. Whether it is Guilin’s rice terraces, Hainan’s coastal roads, or European cycling paths, Chinese cyclists share their routes extensively on Douyin and XHS. Operators who provide good bicycles, Mandarin route maps, and scenic checkpoints get strong word-of-mouth within the Chinese cycling community.

Adventure Sports

Bungee jumping, paragliding, and zip-lining attract Chinese travelers who want the rush and the social media moment simultaneously. Destinations in Southeast Asia, Queenstown, and even specific spots in China itself have built strong Chinese visitor bases around adventure sports offerings. The emotional story of facing fear and succeeding is content that performs exceptionally well on Douyin.

What This Means for Operators and Destinations

Specialized Operators Are Winning

Tour operators that have shifted from generic sightseeing to curated active experiences are seeing Chinese bookings grow strongly. Trekking expeditions in Nepal, diving retreats in the Maldives, cycling tours through Provence, and wellness stays in Bali all have established Chinese audiences because specialized operators recognized this demand early and built their China marketing strategy accordingly.

Sustainability Matters More Than It Did

Active holidays align naturally with eco-consciousness, and Chinese travelers are increasingly paying attention. Bird-watching, nature treks, and eco-lodge stays all attract Chinese tourists who want a guilt-free experience. Operators that emphasize responsible practices, local economic support, and minimal environmental impact see stronger brand preference among the growing segment of environmentally aware Chinese travelers.

External Sources

China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism (mct.gov.cn) publishes annual data on domestic and outbound tourism trends. Their 2024 report confirms outdoor and adventure travel as the fastest-growing category, with strong growth in both booking volume and per-trip spending. Ctrip, China’s dominant online travel agency, releases regular consumer trend reports. Their 2025 data shows active and wellness travel searches growing at more than twice the rate of traditional sightseeing package searches among users under 35.

Why Your Chinese Digital Presence Matters

If you want Chinese active travelers to find you, trust you, and book with you, you need to be visible where they look:

• Chinese website with ICP license, hosted on Alibaba Cloud or Tencent Cloud: Fast load times inside China make the difference between a booking and a bounce.
• Douyin: The key discovery channel. Active travel content, adventure sports videos, and destination reels drive real inspiration and bookings. See our Douyin marketing page.
• Xiaohongshu (XHS / RED): Where Chinese active travelers share trip reports, gear reviews, and honest destination assessments. Your presence there builds the trust that converts browsers into bookers. See our XHS page.
• Baidu: Chinese travelers searching for hiking routes, dive sites, or cycling tours start on Baidu. Strong SEO and PPC presence there is essential for visibility.
• WeChat: Build loyalty with past Chinese guests through direct communication, exclusive offers, and active travel community content. Our WeChat marketing guide has the details.

See our complete service offering at chinesetouristagency.com/our-services/.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which active activities are most popular with Chinese tourists right now?

Hiking and trekking remain the top category, especially at destinations with strong cultural or natural significance. Water sports are growing fast, particularly diving in Southeast Asia and kayaking at coastal destinations. Adventure sports like bungee jumping and paragliding attract younger Chinese travelers who prioritize the shareable moment. Wellness and yoga retreats attract an older, higher-spending segment looking for recovery and mental reset. All of these categories have specific Chinese social media communities you can target.

How should an active travel operator market specifically to Chinese tourists?

Start with Douyin. Create short videos showing the experience from the participant’s perspective, not just beautiful landscape shots. Partner with a Chinese KOL who actually does the activity rather than a lifestyle influencer who has never put on a harness. On Xiaohongshu, encourage guests to post their trip reports and engage with their content. For bookings, make sure you are listed on Ctrip and Fliggy. For relationships, use a WeChat Official Account to keep past guests warm and build community.

Is the active holiday trend sustainable or is it a post-pandemic bounce?

The evidence points to it being structural rather than temporary. Chinese Millennials and Gen Z have grown up with social media and international exposure. Their travel preferences are fundamentally different from the older generation that built the mass tour industry. Wellness, authenticity, and active experience are consistently ranked as top priorities in Chinese travel surveys conducted in 2024 and 2025. The operators building their businesses around these preferences today are positioning themselves for a decade of strong demand.

Does my destination need specific certifications or safety standards to attract Chinese active travelers?

Chinese travelers, especially post-pandemic, place health and safety near the top of their decision criteria. For adventure sports, international safety certifications and clear risk communication are important. For wellness retreats, accreditations from recognized wellness bodies add credibility. For hiking operators, clearly marked trails, emergency contact information in Chinese, and English/Mandarin bilingual guides all matter. A Chinese traveler researching your destination on Xiaohongshu will look for safety mentions in reviews. Make sure they find positive ones.

The Active Travel Market Is Growing. Be Ready for It.

Chinese tourists are choosing experiences over landmarks. They are booking hiking trips, dive retreats, and wellness holidays at a rate that is outpacing traditional sightseeing packages. This is the direction the market is moving, and the operators who build their Chinese digital presence now will capture the demand as it grows. Get your Douyin content right, build trust on Xiaohongshu, and make sure Chinese travelers can find you on Baidu. The opportunity is real, and it is here now. Start at chinesetouristagency.com/our-services/.

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