Do Chinese tourists prefer personalized travel in 2025?
After the pandemic, something shifted in how Chinese tourists travel. Group tours did not disappear but they lost ground fast. Today, more Chinese travelers want trips that fit them specifically, not a generic 12-day bus tour of six countries. Personalization is not a premium option anymore. It’s what most Chinese under 45 expect as a baseline.
In 2024, over 70% of Chinese outbound travelers planned at least part of their trip independently, according to Travel Weekly’s China Outbound Report. The platforms enabling this shift, especially Xiaohongshu and Ctrip’s AI tools, have completely changed how itineraries get built.
10 trends in personalized travel for Chinese overseas tourists
- AI-driven custom itineraries
Platforms like Ctrip (Trip.com) and Qunar use AI to analyze user preferences, dining habits, photo styles, and generate specific plans with real-time weather and crowd data. It’s not perfect but it’s good enough to replace a travel agent for most trips. - Niche interest tourism
Anime pilgrimages in Japan, K-drama filming locations in Korea, vintage car rallies in Europe, Harry Potter sites in the UK. Chinese tourists now build entire trips around very specific interests. Generic destination marketing misses this audience completely. - Private guides and VIP services
Demand for Mandarin-speaking local experts booked via Feizhu or Mafengwo keeps growing. After-hours museum tours, chef-led culinary dinners. These are not luxury extras for a small group, they’re mainstream for urban professionals in their 30s. - Social media micro-groups
Small travel groups of 4 to 6 people form on Xiaohongshu or WeChat around shared interests like photography or hiking. They co-create itineraries together. This is a completely new behavior with no real equivalent in Western travel culture. - Mixed digital and physical luxury
AR-enhanced historical tours at Rome’s Colosseum, blockchain-secured villa bookings. Some of this is gimmick, some of it is real. High-net-worth Chinese travelers are early adopters and they pay for novelty. - Gen Z mood-based travel
Younger travelers pick destinations based on emotional state. “Healing trips” to Iceland. “Nostalgia tours” in retro Hong Kong neighborhoods. This sounds abstract but it shows up very clearly in Xiaohongshu searches. Destination marketing that speaks to feelings performs better than lists of attractions. - Cultural immersion programs
Week-long pottery workshops, homestays with winemaking families in Tuscany. Authentic local experiences that cannot be reproduced at home. This is growing fast among travelers who have already done the standard European circuit. - Health and wellness trips
Retreats combining traditional Chinese medicine with global wellness practices, yoga in Bali, Swiss detox programs. These are not cheap and the Chinese travelers who book them are among the highest spenders in the market. - New payment tools
Digital yuan trials are expanding overseas. Split-bill apps for group trips, “travel now, pay later” fintech for younger travelers. Payment flexibility is increasingly a booking factor. - Post-trip content monetization
Platforms like Bilibili and Douyin pay travelers to share trip content. Some frequent travelers now partly fund their trips through brand partnerships. This creates a feedback loop: good destinations get more content, more content drives more bookings.
The shift from group to individual travel
After the pandemic, group travel was largely set aside by Chinese tourists. You will not see them getting off buses in large numbers like before. More and more are turning to personalized travel because it better matches their tastes, and frankly, because they can organize it themselves now.
Chinese tourists have been encouraged by the Chinese government to travel abroad for years. With rising purchasing power, they traveled more and more. There were more than 150 million outbound trips from China in 2019, a number that is recovering and expected to surpass 160 million by 2026.
Group travel: why it worked, why it’s declining
Group tours gave Chinese travelers security. Language was not a barrier, everything was organized, guides explained everything in Mandarin. For a first trip abroad, it made sense. But the new generation of Chinese travelers has been abroad before. They speak some English. They use Google Maps and translation apps. The language barrier that justified group tours is much smaller now.
Individual travel is the new default
This trend is driven by younger Chinese who see group tours as outdated. At least 90% of Chinese tourists traveling abroad are under 45. More than 70% now prefer individual travel, according to the International Chinese Travel Monitor by Hotels.com. They choose their own hotels, their own restaurants, their own pace.
Social networks drive this. Travelers post their entire trip, from planning to arrival to every meal. Gu Yue, a young Chinese blogger, posted his full journey from Beijing to Berlin to visit his girlfriend. It went viral and inspired thousands of others to plan solo trips.
Travel agencies: what role do they still play?
Most Chinese travel agencies still focus on group packages. For individual travel, Chinese tourists go directly to online platforms. Ctrip, Elong, Fliggy are the main ones. These platforms handle flights, hotels, and activities without requiring any human intermediary. Some luxury platforms like Zanadu handle high-end accommodation.
How to work with a Chinese tour agency in 2025. Expert tips:
- Use WeChat to reach them. They do not read emails.
- Build your e-reputation before contacting them. They are careful about new partners.
- Translate your website or create an H5 page in Chinese. They need to understand your offer.
- Be ready to negotiate. That’s how Chinese agencies work.
- If they push back, it means they’re interested. Silence means they’re not.
- Always work on prepayment, even with existing partners.
What CTA can do for you
Reaching individual Chinese travelers requires presence on the right platforms. Douyin, RED (Xiaohongshu), and WeChat are where they discover destinations, validate choices, and share experiences.
- Douyin: video content showing real experiences, not brochure shots
- RED: itinerary guides, KOL partnerships, user reviews
- WeChat: official accounts, loyalty programs, direct contact
Check all our services: chinesetouristagency.com/our-services/
Quick summary table
| Traveler type | What they want | Best channel to reach them |
|---|---|---|
| Gen Z (18-25) | Mood-based trips, social content, novelty | Douyin, Xiaohongshu |
| Millennial (26-40) | Niche interests, private guides, immersion | Xiaohongshu, Ctrip |
| High-net-worth (any age) | VIP services, wellness, exclusivity | WeChat, luxury OTAs |
| Family traveler | Safety, convenience, kid-friendly | Ctrip, WeChat groups |
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Pedro Wang is the founder of Chinese Tourists Agency, based in Shanghai. He has worked with hotels, destinations, and tourism brands across Europe and Asia since 2012. Contact Pedro Wang directly.
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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
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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!