Understanding China outbound travel.
The growth opportunity for international destinations.
The market is back, and still expanding.
China is re-emerging as one of the world's most important outbound travel markets. This is not simply a return to pre-pandemic travel patterns.
International mobility is recovering, destination discovery is increasingly digital, access is improving, and demand is expanding beyond China's traditional first-tier source cities.
For international destinations, the opportunity is to build visibility and preference before travellers decide where to go, where to stay and what to experience.
- 179m Forecast outbound trips in 2026
- $3,000–$7,622 Average spend per visitor in international destinations
- $258b Forecast outbound destination spending in 2026
Visible in the data.
Forecast outbound trips in 2026 exceed the pre-pandemic benchmark of 155 million recorded in 2019. International travel has once again become a mainstream part of Chinese consumer behaviour.
The market is no longer simply recovering; it is entering its next phase of growth. The opportunity now is to capture three things.
- Share of consideration while travellers research destinations
- Share of bookings when they choose flights, hotels and experiences
- Share of in-destination spending after they arrive
Why the spend story is especially attractive.
China's balance-of-payments travel expenditure reached approximately US$254 billion in 2025, reflecting the significant value of the country's outbound travel market.
For hotels, the opportunity extends well beyond the room booking. Chinese travellers often build multiple add-ons into their trips, creating additional revenue across room upgrades, dining, spa and wellness packages, transportation, retail and bookable local experiences.
Hotels that package and promote these services effectively can increase total spend per guest while delivering a more convenient and personalised stay.
The opportunity is becoming easier to convert.
Chinese travellers visited more than 210 countries and regions in 2024. Destinations do not need decades of established brand awareness to compete - but they do need a distinctive reason to visit, and a credible presence within China's digital travel ecosystem.
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28
Improving access
Countries that extended unilateral visa-free access to Chinese citizens in 2025. China's 45-country visa-waiver list now includes Italy, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Australia, France, Argentina and Brazil.
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10.39m
A growing passport base
Ordinary passports issued in the first half of 2026, creating a substantial pool of first-time and early-stage international travellers.
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Experience-led spending
Travellers are allocating more of their budgets to dining, entertainment, culture and locally distinctive experiences, lifting spend per visitor.
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Digital decision-making
Inspiration, itinerary planning and bookings are increasingly shaped by Chinese social media, short-form video, travel platforms and online communities - the chance to reach travellers before plans are finalised.
Promising metrics.
| Country | Chinese arrivals (2025) | Forecast growth in 2026 | Traveller profile and value | Market opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom |
Approx. 830,000 visits | 30% | Chinese travellers stay for an average of 14 nights and spend nearly twice the global average per trip. Visitor spending is expected to reach £1.2 billion. | Well positioned to capture demand for heritage, education, luxury retail, football, culture and premium hospitality. Converting this interest requires consistent China-specific content and a seamless journey from discovery to booking. |
| France | Approx. 3 million visits | 28% | Average spend per traveller has risen by more than 30%, with spending increasingly shifting toward dining, services and experiences. | The typical Chinese visitor is younger and travels independently, often using France as the starting point for a wider multi-city European itinerary. This creates opportunities across hospitality, retail, dining and cultural experiences. |
| Spain | Approx. 800,000 visits | 46.8% | Chinese travellers stay for an average of eight nights, with total visitor spending exceeding €1.8 billion in 2024. | Rapid growth and strong appeal across culture, gastronomy, shopping and premium leisure make Spain an increasingly valuable market. China-specific visibility and booking channels will be essential for converting this demand. |