In the first three quarters of 2025, China’s tourism market maintained its robust rebound. Domestic trips, outbound travel and inbound travel all posted double-digit increases, as consumer confidence and policy support reinforced each other and the industry moved firmly into an expansion cycle.
Market size and overall performance
Between January and September, the country recorded 4.998 billion domestic trips, up 18 percent year on year, and total domestic tourism spending reached RMB 4.85 trillion (669 billion USD), an increase of 11.5 percent. Both figures set new records for the period. Urban residents accounted for 3.789 billion trips and RMB 4.05 trillion of spending (558 billion USD), while rural residents made 1.209 billion trips and spent RMB 0.80 trillion (111 billion USD). The rural segment grew fastest, with trip volume and spending rising 25 percent and 24 percent respectively, becoming the main engine of incremental growth.
Inbound and outbound travel pick up speed
Outbound travel has essentially returned to 2019 levels. During the May-Day, summer and National-Day peaks, OTAs such as Trip.com and Tongcheng reported double-digit year-on-year growth in international air-ticket and hotel bookings. The most popular destinations were Japan, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Viet Nam, Australia and Russia; travelers born after 1990 and 2000 represented more than 60 percent of bookings.
Inbound travel rebounded even more strongly. In Q1 the country received 7.367 million foreign visitors, up 39 percent year on year. According to the National Immigration Administration, the January-September border-crossing total reached 510 million, up 12.9 percent, with foreign arrivals under the 240-hour visa-free transit policy surging 48 percent. The top ten source markets were the ROK, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, the United States, Singapore, Australia, Russia, the United Kingdom and Canada. Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Harbin, Xi’an and Xiamen were the most visited cities.
Comparison with the same period last year
- Domestic trips rose by 761 million, and the growth rate widened by 3.2 percentage points.
- Domestic tourism spending increased by RMB 0.50 trillion (69 billion USD), and the growth rate rose by about 1 percentage point.
- Foreign inbound arrivals swung from negative to positive, jumping 39 percent in Q1, far above the 2024 figure.
- Outbound volume is estimated to be up roughly 15 percent for the first nine months and is on track to regain pre-pandemic levels for the full year.
Key market characteristics
- Urban-rural “dual engines”: rural trip growth has outpaced urban for two consecutive years, with county-level destinations, rural tourism and homestays leading the charge in lower-tier markets.
- Value-conscious yet quality-seeking: per-capita spending is rising more slowly than trip volume, but immersive experiences—museums, live performances, heritage workshops, ice & snow activities, study tours—are booming as travelers chase emotional value and individuality.
- Policy dividends keep coming: visa-free transit, simplified visas, instant tax rebates and recovering international seat capacity are fueling a “second-growth curve” for inbound travel.
- Younger cohorts dominate: post-90s and post-00s account for the majority of long-haul domestic and outbound bookings; intangible-heritage check-ins, city walks, “performance + food” trips and soft adventures are now top motivations.
Industry outlook
- Domestic trips are expected to exceed 6.5 billion for 2025, with domestic spending reaching RMB 5.8 trillion—both all-time highs.
- Outbound travellers should hit 150 million in 2025, restoring China’s position in the global top tier; a compound annual growth rate of about 8 percent is projected for 2026-2027.
- Inbound foreign arrivals could surpass 50 million for the year, generating roughly USD 120 billion in international tourism receipts and lifting China’s global market share from 4 percent to 4.5 percent.
- “Tourism-plus” integrated formats will enter a golden period: culture-sports-tourism, transport-tourism, business-health-study and night economies will expand, while digital tech, AI guides and immersive shows move the value chain upward.
- The lower-tier and silver-haired markets will be new blue oceans: as infrastructure in third- and fourth-tier cities and villages improves and retirees upgrade their consumption, rural trips are forecast to account for more than 30 percent of the national total by 2026 and the senior travel market to exceed RMB 1 trillion.
Overall, China’s tourism sector is at a critical window where post-pandemic recovery meets structural upgrading. With diversified demand, digital supply and facilitative policies all reinforcing one another, the market will maintain high prosperity for the next two years and accelerate its shift from scale expansion to high-quality development.
