The majority of Chinese tourists will travel around Asia in 2023

Every year, Chinese tourists make up one of the largest outbound travel groups in the world. And while destinations like France, Italy, and the USA get a lot of attention in Western media, the reality is that most Chinese travellers head to Asia first. Closer destinations, shorter flights, familiar food, and shared cultural references make Asian countries the go-to choice for a large share of the market.

In 2026 this pattern is holding strong, and in some cases getting stronger. If you are a travel brand, hotel group, or tourism board trying to reach Chinese visitors, understanding this geographic preference is the starting point for any real strategy.

Where Chinese tourists are going in 2026

Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia consistently sit at the top of Chinese outbound travel lists. Japan holds a special place: Chinese tourists spend heavily there, stay longer, and return more often than to almost any other destination. Thailand has recovered strongly since the pandemic and remains one of the most accessible choices for first-time outbound travellers.

The Maldives and Bali also draw significant numbers. These are aspirational destinations for Chinese middle-class travellers, and both have strong presences on Xiaohongshu where travel inspiration starts for many Chinese tourists planning a trip.

Beyond the top picks, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Cambodia are growing fast. These countries offer a good mix of affordable prices, tropical scenery, and increasingly strong infrastructure for Chinese visitors including WeChat Pay acceptance, Mandarin-speaking staff, and Chinese-language signage.

Data from the China Tourism Academy published at cnta.gov.cn shows that outbound trips to Asian destinations account for over 60% of all Chinese international travel, with that share expected to remain stable through 2027 as long-haul travel costs stay elevated.

How Chinese tourist behaviour has changed

Before 2020 group tours were the dominant format for Chinese outbound travel. A travel agency would organise everything, tourists would move together in buses, and the experience was highly controlled. That model still exists but it is no longer the majority.

Today, most Chinese outbound travellers plan their own trips. They research on Xiaohongshu, book through Ctrip or Fliggy, and share their experiences on Douyin and Weibo. Individual and small-group travel is now the norm, and it changes what these tourists want. They look for authentic experiences, local food, unique accommodation options, and places that look good for photos and videos.

“The shift to independent travel among Chinese tourists is one of the biggest changes we have seen in the past five years,” says Philip Chen, digital marketing expert. “These travellers research extensively before they go. They build detailed itineraries based on Xiaohongshu posts and Douyin videos. If your hotel or attraction is not visible on those platforms you simply do not exist for them. The good news is that getting visible is very achievable with the right content and the right partners, even for smaller destinations and properties.”

Case Study: A boutique hotel in Chiang Mai and its Chinese guest turnaround

Nattapong Srisai owns a boutique hotel called Lotus Garden in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He opened it in 2017 with 18 rooms, targeting European and American backpackers. For the first two years the business did well. Then 2020 arrived, travel stopped, and when it restarted in 2022 the mix of guests had shifted significantly. European bookings were slow to recover, but Chinese visitors were back, eager and spending freely.

Nattapong noticed that his Chinese guests were different from the European guests he had built the hotel for. They asked for hot water kettles in the rooms. They wanted rice porridge options at breakfast. They asked for WeChat Pay. They shared photos obsessively. And they left very detailed reviews on platforms he had never heard of.

In mid 2023 Nattapong invested 12,000 USD in a Chinese digital marketing package. He added WeChat Pay and Alipay, redesigned the breakfast menu to include congee and dim sum options, and printed a Chinese-language welcome card explaining the local area. More importantly, he worked with an agency to set up a Douyin account and a Xiaohongshu profile for the hotel.

The Xiaohongshu strategy was the most effective. The agency arranged for two micro-KOLs, Chinese travel creators with around 50,000 to 80,000 followers each, to stay at Lotus Garden and create content. The cost for both stays and content was 4,800 USD. The resulting posts reached over 1.2 million users and generated 340 direct enquiries through WeChat within the first month.

By the end of 2023, Chinese guests represented 38% of Nattapong’s total bookings. Average stay length was 4.2 nights compared to 2.8 nights for Western guests. And Chinese guests spent an average of 410 USD per stay on extras like spa treatments, cooking classes, and day tours, compared to 180 USD for the average Western guest.

In 2024 Nattapong expanded the Douyin presence. He posted short videos twice a week showing the hotel garden, the breakfast spread, nearby temples, and local markets. The account grew to 24,000 followers. One video showing the hotel’s sunrise view got 890,000 plays and was directly credited with 62 bookings in a single week.

Nattapong properties strategy is now China-first. He has kept his European and American marketing but Chinese visitors are his priority audience for new content, new amenities, and partnerships, because they spend more, stay longer, and share more. “They become ambassadors for you,” he says. “If they have a good time, their network in China hears about it immediately.”

What Asian destinations need to do to keep winning

Chinese tourists to Asia in 2026 are more demanding than they were five years ago. They have more options, more information, and higher expectations. Here is what actually moves them:

• Presence on Xiaohongshu: this is where trip planning starts for most Chinese travellers aged 20 to 40
• Active Douyin content: short video drives discovery and creates emotional pull toward a destination
• WeChat Pay and Alipay accepted: this is now a basic expectation, not a nice to have
• Chinese-language information: even a basic translated menu or welcome card creates a positive impression
• Reviews on Ctrip and Mafengwo: Chinese travellers check these before booking just like Western travellers check TripAdvisor

Travel research platform Mafengwo, accessible at mafengwo.cn, shows that destinations in Southeast Asia consistently rank among the top planning destinations for Chinese independent travellers. Hotels and attractions with active profiles on this platform see measurably higher click-through rates from Chinese planning their trips.

For tourism brands wanting to build real visibility among Chinese travellers, working with a Chinese digital marketing agency is the most direct route. The platforms Chinese tourists use are different from Western platforms, the content formats are different, and the trust signals are different. You need local expertise to get it right.

Take a look at our services page to see how CTA helps travel brands reach Chinese tourists at every stage of the planning and booking process.

How CTA Can Help

CTA works with hotels, tourism boards and travel brands across Asia and beyond to build their visibility among Chinese travellers. Services include:

• Douyin (TikTok China) campaigns targeting Chinese travellers in the discovery phase
• WeChat Official Account management for direct communication with Chinese audiences
• Baidu SEO and PPC to capture search intent from Chinese travellers planning their trip
• RED (Xiaohongshu) influencer marketing to build organic reach and trust
• Chinese website design and localization for a professional digital presence
• KOL/KOC partnerships with travel creators who connect with your ideal audience

About CTA

CTA is a Shanghai-based digital marketing agency specializing in helping international brands reach Chinese consumers. Since 2012, they have worked with tourism boards, hotels, real estate developers, luxury brands and more. Services include Douyin, WeChat, Baidu, RED, and Chinese website design. Whether you are targeting the independent Chinese traveller or the group tour market, CTA brings the expertise to make your brand visible where it matters. Learn more at chinesetouristagency.com/our-services.

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Claire is a content strategist at CTA with 6 years of experience in Chinese digital marketing. She writes about tourism, branding, and how to reach Chinese consumers online.