Rising Interest in Health & Wellness
Healthcare awareness is increasing, with more users prioritizing medical care, wellness, and informed consumption.
In 2023, China became the largest overseas tourism market, with 101 million outbound travelers and $196.5 billion in spending. China’s outbound tourism recovery is robust, with 60.71 million travelers in the first half of 2024—a 50.4% increase year-on-year, now 74.7% of 2019 levels. This growth is focused on nearby destinations like Southeast Asia and the UAE, driven by demand for independent, flexible travel over organized tours.
Industry players, especially OTAs, adapt to big data and AI to meet evolving preferences. With better visa policies and restored airline capacity, the market is expected to reach 90% of 2019 levels by late 2024 and fully recover by early 2025.
Key Concept Definitions
Outbound Tourism refers to Chinese mainland residents traveling for vacations to countries, regions, and areas like Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan outside the Chinese mainland.
Outbound Group Tours are organized by travel agencies, which plan itineraries and make transportation arrangements. Travelers follow the agency’s set plans and typically pay a lump sum in advance, benefiting from group discounts.
Independent Outbound Travel encompasses all forms of outbound tourism that do not involve group tours.
UNESCO defines young users as individuals aged 15 to 44, the age range used in this report.
Point of View: Accelerating Recovery of China’s Outbound Tourism Market
The “2023-2024 Cross-Border Travel Consumption Trend Report” by the World Tourism Alliance, Mastercard, Ctrip, and Alipay highlights the strong recovery of China’s outbound tourism. As travel demand rises and flights resume, outbound travel and per capita spending steadily increase. Chinese travelers initially prefer nearby destinations, with the UAE emerging as a top destination due to its visa-free and tax-free policies, attracting business and independent tourists alike.
1.Current Status of China’s Outbound Tourism Industry
Global outbound tourism is rebounding, with the Middle East and Europe surpassing pre-pandemic levels. According to the UNWTO’s 2024 Tourism Barometer, international tourism revenue reached $1.4 trillion in 2023, or 93% of 2019 levels, with 1.3 billion travelers, representing 88% of pre-pandemic figures.
The Middle East exceeded 2019 levels by 22%, Europe reached 94% due to strong regional and U.S. demand, and Africa and the Americas hit 96% and 90%, respectively. The Asia-Pacific region is recovering slower, at 65% of 2019 levels, with South Asia at 87% and Northeast Asia around 55%.
Europe, the region with the highest number of outbound and inbound tourists, is continuing its recovery in the second quarter of 2024. The number of inbound tourists has increased by 6% compared to 2019 levels.
China’s tourism market is experiencing a strong overall recovery, with tourism expenditure growth outpacing the increase in the number of travelers, leading to an accelerated release of consumer spending power in tourism.
China’s outbound tourism market is experiencing a strong recovery, with 60.71 million outbound trips in the first half of 2024, reflecting a 50.4% year-on-year increase. Key highlights include
Passports Issued: 12.34 million, a 23.2% year-on-year increase.
Permits for Hong Kong and Macao: 46.15 million, a 7.8% increase.
International Flights: 267,000 flights operated, recovering to 70.5% of 2019 levels, with 44 million passengers, also at 70.3% of pre-pandemic numbers.
Visa and Entry Policies China has made significant progress in visa facilitation, signing agreements with 157 countries, simplifying procedures with 44, and establishing full mutual visa exemptions with 23. Visa-free or visa-on-arrival policies are available in over 60 countries. Notable developments include:
Transportation In the first half of 2024, international flights increased by 179.3% year-on-year, averaging 1,468 flights per day. The recovery reached 78% of 2019 levels by June, with significant growth in flights to Italy, Qatar, the UK, and the UAE.
Local Activities As Chinese tourists return, local services and activities at destinations are rapidly recovering, improving the overall travel experience.
Travel Preferences The younger generation is increasingly favoring flexible and independent travel, showing a higher enthusiasm for outbound travel compared to older age groups.
More than half of outbound travelers are from the post-90s and post-2000s generations, with teenagers increasingly influencing family decisions on travel. This trend highlights the growing impact of younger travelers in the outbound tourism market.
Middle-aged parents are now allowing their children to influence outbound travel decisions, aiming to enhance the experience and develop their skills, showcasing teenagers’ growing impact on travel planning.
Young travelers are reshaping outbound tourism with diverse, flexible styles:
Social media—especially Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and WeChat—is a key source of travel inspiration.
Independent travel is becoming the preferred choice for Chinese outbound travelers, with more group tour participants transitioning to self-guided trips. This shift is leading independent travel to dominate China’s outbound tourism market
The rise of independent travel is changing the existing consumption structure of outbound travelers, with the proportion of spending on local entertainment and activities continuously increasing.
Independent travel is reshaping Chinese outbound tourism, with air travel still dominant. Travelers increasingly avoid peak times, reducing transport costs, and seek less popular destinations, lowering accommodation expenses. Personalized itineraries focused on local culture, cuisine, and unique experiences are driving up spending on local entertainment, while overall travel and lodging costs may decrease.
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