Why Chinese Tourists Are Searching for Shopping Experiences
A few years ago, when Chinese groups arrived in Paris or Milan, the first stop was often a big luxury store. Bags full of perfumes, watches, fashion. Shopping was the main reason for many trips. Today things look different. Many Chinese tourists still buy souvenirs, but they spend less time in malls and more time doing things. They want to learn, feel, and remember.
I have worked with tourism businesses in Europe and beyond for over ten years. I help them connect with Chinese clients. I saw this change happen step by step. In 2023 and 2024, clients told me their Chinese guests asked fewer questions about tax refunds and more about cooking classes, wine workshops, or quiet walks in nature. Shopping used to take a big share of the budget. Now culture, food, and real experiences take the lead.
Why the shift happened
The travelers themselves changed. Before the pandemic, many came in big organized groups. The programme included mandatory shopping stops. Now more people travel independently or in small groups. They are younger, often between 25 and 40. They have money, but they look for meaning.
Social media plays a central role. On Xiaohongshu, people do not just post “I bought this bag.” They post “I learned to make pasta in a small village in Tuscany” or “I spent a morning picking tea in the mountains.” These posts get more attention and comments. Douyin videos show real moments: a guest trying local food, walking in a forest, talking with a craftsman. Young Chinese travelers see these and think: I want that.
Many Chinese have now traveled several times. They already own the big brands. They look for something different. After years of fast life in big cities, they want calm and discovery. Wellness, nature, local culture. Travel becomes a way to feel recharged, not just a chance to collect things.
From the field: three situations that changed how we approach this
A chateau near Bordeaux. In 2022, most Chinese bookings came from tour operators who included shopping time in the city. By 2025, independent guests asked for private wine tastings explained in Chinese, a vineyard visit, and time to take photos at sunset. The client’s brief was to grow direct Chinese bookings. We added a simple half-day programme. No big change to the product. Just more focus on the experience. Bookings grew and guests stayed longer. The tour operator dependency dropped from 70 percent to 40 percent in eighteen months.
A restaurant in southern France. They added a small Chinese menu with clear photos and descriptions. Then they invited guests to join the chef for ten minutes to see how one dish is prepared. Nothing complicated. Just a strong memory. Guests posted about it on Xiaohongshu. More bookings came from that one action than from their paid ads that month.
A safari operator in Kenya. We worked with them for eighteen months. Their original offer was built around seeing the Big Five. Good product. But Chinese guests wanted more context, more stories, more moments to photograph. We added a KOL-style content day during quiet season, where the guide explained animal behavior in Chinese while the cameraman filmed. The footage became Douyin content that drove bookings for six months after posting.
What we tried that did not work
Early on we told clients: keep a shopping component in the itinerary. Chinese guests still want to buy things. That was true in 2019. By 2024 it felt like we were designing for the old market. Independent travelers told us directly they did not want a shopping stop scheduled into their day. They would buy if they wanted to, but on their own time. We removed mandatory shopping from any programme we designed. Satisfaction scores went up. Return rate went up. Shopping spend actually stayed about the same because guests chose it freely instead of feeling pushed.
Our current standard approach
When we onboard a new tourism client targeting Chinese independent travelers, experience design is the first deliverable. Before social media, before WeChat setup, we sit with the client and ask: what is the one moment a Chinese guest will photograph and share? That moment is the product. Everything else supports it.
Then we build the Chinese communication around that moment. The Xiaohongshu post shows it. The Douyin video captures it. The WeChat message at check-in mentions it. Consistency across platforms around one strong moment converts faster than broad messaging about general quality.
Key numbers for 2026
- Experiences and food now account for 38 percent of Chinese outbound travel spend, up from 24 percent in 2019.
- Shopping share dropped from 31 percent in 2019 to around 19 percent in 2025.
- 78 percent of Chinese travelers aged 25 to 35 say they choose a destination based on content they saw on Xiaohongshu or Douyin.
- Xiaohongshu has over 300 million monthly active users in 2026, with travel as the second most searched category.
What to do if you run a tourism business
- Review your current activities. Which ones give guests a real story to tell? Improve those first.
- Add basic Chinese information: timing, what to expect, how to prepare. Use simple language.
- Produce short authentic videos from the guest point of view. Real people, not models.
- Train your team on a few Mandarin phrases and common requests.
- Encourage sharing. A small thank-you for a nice post can help, but do not push too hard.
Mistakes to avoid
Do not translate everything with machines only. The text feels cold and sometimes wrong. Better to work with someone who understands both cultures. Another error is to think only luxury works. Many independent travelers look for quality at fair prices. Authenticity matters more than five-star labels.
Do not forget practical details. Strong Wi-Fi, easy payment with Alipay and WeChat Pay, adapters for plugs. These small things remove stress and let guests focus on the experience itself.
Summary
| Old approach | Current approach |
|---|---|
| Mandatory shopping stop | Optional, guest-led shopping |
| Landmark checklist | One strong shareable moment |
| Promote luxury goods | Promote stories and memories |
| Group tour format | Flexible half-day add-ons |
| Machine translation only | Human-reviewed Chinese content |
| Western OTA booking | WeChat direct booking |
If you want to understand the platforms driving these decisions, our guides on Xiaohongshu RED marketing and Douyin marketing are a good place to start.
Sources
Marketing-Chine, attracting Chinese tourists off season: practical ideas from a French China marketing agency. marketing-chine.com
OCC Strategy — Tourism consultancy analyzing the shift from shopping-focused to experience-focused travel among Chinese outbound travelers. https://www.occstrategy.com/en/article/chinese-travel-in-2026-changing-tides/
About Alex: Senior project manager specializing in Chinese inbound tourism. Has briefed 200 plus tourism clients on digital strategy. Favorite part of the job: watching a hotel Xiaohongshu account take off.
