Tuesday, August 6, 2024
reading time: 3 minutes
the ITB China The Travel Trends Report (TTR) provides a detailed exploration of the latest trends and shifts within the Chinese tourism sector, providing important insights into the behaviors, preferences, new travel destinations and dynamics of Chinese travelers. For the 2024/25 edition, Trip.com Group, a global one-stop travel services organization, has joined forces with ITB China as a key collaborator, contributing a wealth of tourism data related to China’s travel industry to enhance the richness of the report’s analysis and forecasts.
The report is based on a comprehensive survey conducted by ITB China, which gathered responses from over 1,000 buyers within the ITB China Buyers Circle. The report is also enriched by a number of executive interviews with representatives from associations, leading travel agencies, prominent newcomers to the industry, and corporate and exhibition buyers.
Lydia Lee“By keeping up with the latest trends, ITB China exhibitors and global partners can better position themselves in the competitive landscape and differentiate their offerings to attract Chinese travelers,” said ITB China Exhibition Director Yi Jian.
Sun Po“After a steady recovery last year, China’s outbound and inbound travel market is poised for rapid growth. We are pleased to partner with ITB China to provide global industry operators with business inspiration and industry insights through the Travel Trends Report,” said Trip.com Group Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of China Tourism Association.
In 2024, China’s outbound travel market is set to see a strong recovery. Although the pace of recovery is uneven, the easing of visa regulations and the restoration of air travel capacity are contributing significantly to the return of Chinese tourists. The ITB China Buyer Survey reveals that 75% of industry stakeholders are optimistic about their outbound operations, expecting them to meet or exceed their 2019 performance levels.
The demographics of Chinese travelers are evolving, with Trip.com Group data indicating that Gen Z and Gen X now account for 40% of the outbound travel market, overtaking Gen Z at 29%. This shift is driven by younger travelers’ financial independence and desire for adventure, which has led to a strong increase in demand for outbound travel.
Chinese tourists are increasingly prioritizing immersive and revitalizing travel experiences. This shift is evident in a growing preference for smaller groups, independent trips, and tailor-made trips. According to the ITB Chinese Buyer Survey, the most popular travel activities include urban exploration and family vacations, each attracting more than 50% of travelers. Cultural trips, educational trips, and island trips are also popular, along with niche markets such as gourmet exploration, adventure tourism, ecotourism, senior travel, medical travel, and winter sports.
Travel companies in China are leveraging digital platforms such as WeChat, Douyin (Chinese TikTok), and Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) for broader engagement and increased revenue generation. For example, a travel agency affiliated with GZL reported a massive revenue of RMB 1.13 million in a single day on Douyin, accumulating nearly RMB 12 million over the course of a month.
The report also highlights China’s corporate and MICE travel sectors, noting that visa policies, flight availability, budget considerations, and desired experiences are all critical factors in shaping destination choices and other MICE decisions. The concept of combining work and leisure is becoming increasingly popular, with 95% of business travelers in 2023 expressing an interest in extending their trips for leisure, up 3.7% from the previous year, according to Trip.Biz data.
Furthermore, the “Travel to China” section of the ITB China Travel Trends report discusses strategies to boost outbound marketing and leverage the destination’s attributes. According to Tourism Economics, a division of Oxford Economics, inbound tourism to China is expected to grow significantly over the next decade, driven by more flexible visa policies, focused marketing efforts, and improved tourism infrastructure.
