ITB China Releases 2026/27 Travel Trends Report

Key points

• In 2025, mainland China residents made 167.92 million outbound trips, up 16% year-on-year; Asia-Pacific remained the primary destination region, while long-haul markets in Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East showed growth potential.
• In 2025, China received 35.17 million inbound foreign visitors, up 31% year-on-year, with South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore as key Asian source markets and the US, Canada, UK, and Germany playing important long-haul roles.
• Visa policies, air connectivity, and bilateral relations influence destination choice: Georgia saw increased attention after implementing 30-day visa-free access, while Egypt benefited from visa-on-arrival and direct flights, with Chinese visitor numbers growing over 20% in 2025.
• Traveler preferences are increasingly diverse; price remains important, but travelers place greater emphasis on the balance between cost and quality, authentic experiences, itinerary flexibility, and personalized service.
• The report highlights four key segments: luxury travel, cruises, cultural study tours, and outdoor/sports tourism, with niche themed markets offering rich opportunities.
• AI is rapidly integrating into the entire travel journey; a Tourism Economics survey shows the share of global travelers using AI chatbots or virtual assistants nearly doubled year-on-year, with nearly one in five already using such tools for international trip planning.
• MICE client structures are shifting: finance, insurance, real estate, and pharma/medicine remain major client industries, while technology, new energy, robotics, internet, and high-end manufacturing are emerging growth sectors.
• Leading firms tend to concentrate resources on fewer, high-quality strategic events, while SMEs prefer smaller, more frequent, precisely targeted events; under budget pressure, improving efficiency and product value remains a key industry challenge.