Do Chinese tourists prefer personalized travel in 2025?
10 trends in personalized travel for Chinese overseas tourists, synthesized from Chinese sources and translated into English by GMA team
- AI-Driven Custom Itineraries
Platforms like Ctrip (Trip.com) and Qunar use AI to analyze user preferences (e.g., dining habits, photo styles) and generate tailored plans, integrating real-time weather, events, and crowd predictions. - Niche Interest Tourism
Rise of hyper-specific themes: anime pilgrimages (Japan), K-drama filming locations (Korea), vintage car rallies (Europe), or literary-themed tours (UK’s Harry Potter sites). - Private Guides & VIP Services
Demand for Mandarin-speaking local experts (booked via Feizhu or Mafengwo) for exclusive access, such as after-hours museum tours or chef-led culinary experiences. - Social Media-Born “Micro-Groups”
Small travel groups (4–6 people) formed organically on Xiaohongshu or WeChat, united by shared interests (photography, hiking) and co-creating itineraries. - Luxury “Phygital” Experiences
Blending physical and digital luxury: AR-enhanced historical tours (e.g., Rome’s Colosseum), blockchain-secured bookings for high-end villas, and NFT souvenirs. - Gen Z’s “Mood-Based Travel”
Younger travelers prioritize destinations aligning with their emotional state (e.g., “healing trips” to Icelandic hot springs or “nostalgia tours” to retro Hong Kong streetscapes). - Cultural Immersion Programs
Demand for authentic local living: week-long pottery workshops in Jingdezhen-style Italian ceramics towns or homestays with Tuscan winemaking families. - Health & Wellness Personalization
Bespoke retreats combining TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) with global practices—e.g., yoga in Bali tailored to qi-balancing diets or Swiss detox programs with acupuncture. - Dynamic Payment Solutions
Integration of digital yuan (e-CNY) trials overseas, split-bill apps for group trips, and “travel now, pay later” fintech services targeting budget-conscious millennials. - Post-Trip Content Monetization
Platforms like Bilibili and Douyin (TikTok) incentivize travelers to share personalized trip content (vlogs, guides) in exchange for discounts or brand partnerships.
Key Stuff 2025:
Personalization is shifting from convenience to self-expression, with Chinese travelers seeking trips that reflect their identities, values, and digital lifestyles.
Success hinges on blending cutting-edge tech (AI, blockchain) with hyper-local human expertise, while platforms increasingly monetize user-generated travel narratives.
The market now splits into experience collectors (Gen Z) and luxury individualists (high-net-worth), both demanding uniqueness over mass tourism.
After the harsh COVID times, group travels are set aside for Chinese tourists. You will not any more see them getting out of several buses per ton. Those are increasingly many to turn to personalized travel, more interesting according to their taste.
Chinese tourists
Chinese tourists have been for a few years encouraged by the Chinese government to travel abroad. Moreover, with the economic growth of the country and their purchasing power which increased, those treats to travel more and more abroad. They were more than 150 million outbound travel from China in 2019, but of course, the Pandemic made some corrections.
Group travels
Privileged for a long time, the group travels allowed the Chinese to feel more secure. Moreover, many don’t speak the host country’s language, so these group travels are a way for them of being able to visit while having all information when they visit in their languages. But, on the one hand, because of the covid fear and the new generation searches more to raise new challenges and grants little importance to the language barrier.
Individual travel preferred
This new trend is brought by the young people market growing up who see the group travels as exceeded and not “cool”. It should be known that it is at least 90% of the Chinese tourists travelling abroad have less than 45 years. More and more Chinese tourists prefer to organize their own travel while choosing the places they wish to visit. That also gives them more freedom in their movements. The hotels note that the number of their customers not travelling in a group is more than before. They are, according to the report of the International Chinese Travel Monitor of Hotels.com, more than 70% prefer the individual traveller.
Social networks also accentuate this attraction for the individual traveller. Gu Yue, a young blogger had posted on his account, all its tours from Beijing to Berlin to see his girlfriend.
How Chinese Celebrities can Boost your tourism destination ?
Travel agencies
Most of the travel agencies in China offer only travel done in a group. Little proposes individual travel. Chinese tourists will simply turn to the Internet to find offers answering their demands. Online travel agencies like Ctrip, Elong or Alitrip knew to attract these customers and enable them to prepare their travel including flights and hotel reservations.
Some sites more specialized in housing as Zanadu propose luxury accommodation. The hotels which understood well the importance of Chinese tourism in their economies make additional efforts to attract them.
How to cooperate work with a Chinese tour agency in 2023?
????Expert tips:
- Use WeChat to reach them – they don’t read emails
- Work on your e-reputation before contacting them – they are careful to choose partners
- Translate website or create an H5 page in Chinese – they can understand your services
- Prepare to bargain – this is the way Chinese agencies negotiate
- If they criticize, means they like what you offer. If don’t respond – they’re not interested
- Always work on prepayment, even if it is your old partner!
Conclusion
The individual travel market is a market in full growth which will not stop as soon. The various tourist actors in this market increase their efforts to attract Chinese tourists to their homes. Our digital marketing company based in Shanghai, Gentlemen Marketing Agency, will help you to understand Chinese tourists and captivate them thanks to the best marketing tools.
Looking for Chinese tourists or a partner agency in China?
We are Experts in Chinese Tourism!
Contact us now to get a Free Consultation or help to find your tour partners in China
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Dear Habtamu Alebachew
We just sent you an e-mail about this, to see how you can attract more Chinese tourists,
Looking forward to hearing back from you!
I am Noel Peter Fernando, a Sri Lanka National and am the Chairman / Managing Director cum Consultant of a Tourism and Travel organization, namely, DELTA TOURS AND TRAVELS a subsidiary company of ANCIENT WORLD TOURS AND TRAVELS, which has been operative since January, 1995.
It will be appreciated that, without an element of doubt, Sri Lanka stands out as one of the prime destinations in the arenas of Tourism and Travel Internationally. We, in return, are pleased to assist somewhat and are proud to be a service- orientated “set-up” by playing an important and pivotal role by working towards the development and economy of our Island Nation.
Besides the above, we consider it an honor and privilege to introduce our organization with a proposition that will assure you satisfaction when dealing with professionals in Travel and Tourism for our veritable needs, value for money and commitment of service which could be rated as second to none, as we possess the requisite solutions that ideal for your requirements.
It will be relevant to state that at DELTA TOURS AND TRAVELS, we do sincerely believe in the
“ Power Of People” as motivated, qualified and professional staff possessing the ability to change the destiny of any organization. This category of staff, it must be emphasized, helps in going a long way in enhancing the organization’s image and its business profile to a great extent and could therefore source any requirements allied to Tourism and Travel on a global basis. We ensure that our staff works in synchronization with the expectations of our organization by maintaining principles such as absolute honesty, integrity, loyalty and ethics in business willingness to work beyond the call of duty relentlessly, striving for complete customer satisfaction.
Experience – wise, we possess immense experience and expertise in the sphere of Tourism and Travel, and we make use of the experience and skills gained for the benefit of our clientele around the world. To quantify this statement, we wish to stress that we are absolutely committed to provide every resource necessary not only to meet but also exceed our clients expectations. Via the acquired experience, we take pride in stating that we provide the highest level of services allied to Tourism and Travel in Sri Lanka, and afford them to our clients by attending to their individual needs and requirements by extending a personal touch. It is noteworthy, that customer satisfaction care and concern for our staff are deep rooted values, and we share them as a team supported by high professional standards and uncompressing integrity.
It is evident that there are major and minor competitors of less significance in the arenas of Tourism and Travel in Sri Lanka. We are aware that, to be a successful entity, experience, competence and professionalism should be proved beyond any reasonable doubt and portrayed attractively to potential clients.
OUR TOURS AND TRAVEL PACKAGES INCLUDES;
Our website offers Sri Lanka travel vacations in Ancient Heritage of Cultural Triangle Vacations, Hill Station Tours, Wildlife Sri Lanka Vacations, Beach Travel Packages, water sports, kayaking, trekking, group tours, Whale and Dolphin Watching Tours, Adventure tours, Nature tours, Golf tours, Package tours, wild life camping tours, sightseeing tours, bird watching tours, inland-Deep sea fishing tours, education tours, Eco tourism, Hot Air Balloon tours ( only during season), Elderly specialized travels, Photographic Tours, cycling tours, volunteer programs, seminars, special wedding tours, honeymoon tours, hotel reservations,
Pick –up at Airport / Airport Transfers –( Pick and Drop) – return
Hotel bookings – Five Star – Luxury stay
Residence Reservations.
Hotel Accommodation – ( Bookings)
Private Accommodation – could be arranged.
Meals- ( breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Dinner, cold be arranged on;
BB Basis / HB Basis / FB Basis
Tours with transfers –( Island wide)- Inbound Tour Arrangements
Sightseeing
Visa services – ( If required)- Assistance for application
Travel Insurance complied with
International and Domestic Air Ticketing
Train / Coach ( Luxury facilities) – With Air Conditioning
English and other International Language speaking Guides
A complete and concise brief of visits to places of interest
Important Historical venues, Safaris to Wild Life Sanctuaries / Bird Sanctuaries
Tourist Business Visits
Family and friend visits
Coordinating presence / return for / from special occasions / Local
Cruises –( If any) eg. Concerts, Stage Musical shows
Visits to shopping malls, all ground transport facilities provided with Air Conditioned comfort.
Dear Peter,
Looking forward to hearing more from you.
We just sent you an e-mail about what can be done for your projecting in attracting more Chinese tourists
hi Seo…are you in Shanghai? Ive got a flight there next month but only one day layover. best wishes. Talat
Hi Seasaw, yes we are in Shanghai,
You are welcom to visit us to discuss your project further. Meanwhile you can still send us an e-mail at contact@chinesetouristagency.com!