- Asia Briefing
- China Briefing
- ASEAN Briefing
- India Briefing
- Vietnam Briefing
- Silk Road Briefing
- Russia Briefing
- Middle East Briefing
Tourism in China: 2022 Trends and Investment Opportunities
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact Chinese tourism, more so because of the country’s zero-Covid policy. New trends have emerged – which has seen a surge in domestic tourism and changing travel preferences among various demographic categories. In this article, we explore how China’s indigenous tourism market is diversifying, successfully catering to the lifestyles of Gen Z and young families, and touch on the prospects for the return of China outbound tourism. We also offer insights for foreign businesses interested in China’s tourism sector and its allied service industries like retail and sustainability.
As more countries open their borders to international tourism, the absence of Chinese visitors is causing more than a little economic pain. From Phuket to Paris, major tourist destinations have relied on an average of 150 million Chinese travelers spending up to US$255 billion yearly on sightseeing. Now three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these destinations are starting to realize th at it will be a while till the Chinese t ourists return. Some analysts believe that this could impose serious economic consequences on affected countries.
Despite the rest of the world moving toward an endemic approach to the virus, China continues to implement a zero-Covid policy. As of August 2022, China has a quarantine system in place for inbound travelers as well as rigorous  measures that get promptly activated in case of outbreaks. Yet, it is precisely such measures that allow Chinese tourists to feel safer when traveling across provinces and have fueled the growth of the country’s domestic tourism industry.
Nevertheless, tourism market data from China in the first quarter of 2022 showed a significant dip when compared to the same period in the previous year . Data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, for example, revealed that, during the New Year’s Day and Spring Festival, 52 million and 251 million people traveled across the country between the two holidays , showing a year-on-year decrease of 5.3 percent and 2.0 percent, respectively. This of course can be put down to the resurgence of Covid-19 with multiple regional and global outbreaks due to more infectious variants. However, with the beginning of the summer holiday season, the slowdown appears to have once again reversed as ticket sales are noticeably on the rise. This presents us with a unique opportunity to zoom in on China’s tourism market and explore how it has transformed since the pandemic . We discuss who is the new Chinese traveler, look at destination trends, as well as the types of services required by the tourism market.
The Chinese tourist profile at a glance
Family traveling at its peak .
The pandemic has caused the decline in popularity of destinations previously famous for group travel, a revenue mainstay for the tourism industry. Chinese travelers are instead opting for different plans based on needs and preferences, giving rise to more family vacations, healthcare tours, and research trips. In particular, “parent-child tourism” has gained momentum throughout 2021 and 2022, along with the steady revival of the national tourism industry.
The 2022 Summer Travel Market Trend Report released by Ctrip (one of China’s leading travel companies) showed that family travel packages have reached a peak in the 2022 summer booking spree. In July 2022, the number of family air tickets sold increased by 804 percent, compared to the previous month. Similarly, bookings of family-friendly hotels grew 80 percent, compared to the same period in 2021, and were up by 20 percent from 2019 – most of these bookings being concentrated in four- and five-star hotels.
Moreover, in July, the number of families traveling from Shanghai and Beijing, as well as from other big cities in China, increased significantly compared to previous holiday periods, such as the Labor Day Holiday or the Dragon Boat Festival. The backlog of travel demand from these places was primarily due to the impact of the epidemic response in the first half of the year, which gradually eased at the beginning of summer.
Looking at the preferred travel destinations, families with children in primary or junior high schools prefer island tours to Sanya, Haikou, Qingdao, and Xiamen , among others, largely because of their family-friendly services. These two groups of travelers have also turned their attention to the tours to the northwestern provinces of Qinghai, Gansu, and Xinjiang.
The Ctrip air ticket data also showed that younger travelers were accompanied by more family members. For example, primary and junior high school students travel with 3.5 and 3.2 people in summer vacations, respectively. On the other hand, college students are more independent in their travel habits.
Gen Z: T he online buyers
As Gen Z’s purchasing power increases, travel has become a significant avenue for them to seek leisure and enjoyment. Survey data showed that over half (52.7 percent) of the Gen Z travelers surveyed looked for travel information on social media and short video platforms, including Xiaohongshu, Kuaishou, Weibo, and Bilibili. About 49 percent of those surveyed chose online travel agencies (OTAs) like Trip.com, Qunar, and Meituan. According to the research, just 16.7 percent of the tourists used offline services to obtain information.
As of 2022, prices and budget remained the main deciding factors for Gen Z when planning their tours, followed by other elements such as transit convenience and safety. 62.5 percent of Gen Z use OTAs to book their travel, with official supplier websites coming in second, followed by social media and e-commerce sites like Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and Taobao.
Data also revealed that natural landscapes were the main draw for Gen Z tourists in 2022. Despite higher spending power, these Chinese travelers had little interest in visiting popular retail malls or luxury sites.
Corporate travel
According to data from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) , China took the top spot globally for business travel expenditure in 2021. Indeed, following a 38 percent drop in that same category over the previous year, China’s corporate travel expenditure increased by 31.7 percent in 2021 as the local market rebounded – more than doubling the worldwide growth rate.
According to the study, 16.3 percent more Chinese businesses used travel management agencies in 2021 than they did in 2020. In China’s top cities , including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, this number increased by 24.6 percent.
By 2024, the business travel industry in China is predicted to recover and reach pre-pandemic levels, with total spending on business travel topping US$400 billion. The strong recovery momentum in China’s business travel industry is reflected in the Trip.com Group’s 2021 performance, with hotel reservations on Trip.Biz (the business-dedicated section of CTrip) increasing by almost triple digits.
China’s latest tourism trends by destination
Peripheral or ‘short-distance’ tourism on the rise .
With the continuous development of leisure tourism in recent years, the short-distance tourism model has gained enough market recognition and respect.
Affected by the pandemic, many people in China still have concerns about the health risks of long-distance traveling. Several primary and secondary schools still restrict the travel of students during long holiday periods, resulting in families preferring to travel short distances and explore nearby landmarks. Local tours, “rediscovering the beauty of the surroundings”, have become popular. new trend as residents gets the opportunity to experience the place where they were born and raised.
The improvement of both tourist facilities and services in the hospitality sector has made it possible for this type of tourism to attract a larger pool of customers.
Rural tourism
Holiday destinations have undergone an evolution from country to the city and back again. Against the background of rural revitalization , the government has appointed a series of “village +” destinations to promote tourism, such as the Yellow River Suji Village and the Jijiadun Ideal Village. Ctrip data shows that the order volume of rural hotels more than doubled in 2021 compared to the previous year, attracting visitors mainly born between the 1980s and the 1970s.
In the past, rural vacations meant spending time between mountains, rivers, and the serene scenery offered by the countryside. Today’s offers are much more diversified, as enterprises combine their business models with sustainable development goals and attract tourists with higher spending capacity.
Cultural products
With the growing enthusiasm of young people for Chinese culture, cultural tourist offers have become more popular.
Various museums, for example, have recently become a hot topic on the search list for nationwide destinations. At the beginning of 2022, the unearthing of cultural relics at the Sanxingdui Ruins site set off a boom in museum tourism. Similarly, the China Grand Canal Museum in Yangzhou (Jiangsu province) has become a popular tourist check-in place, so much so that it attracted a monthly audience of more than 250,000 visitors during its trial operation period alone.
At the same time, the organic integration of traditional folk culture has become more popular, and activities such as temple blessings and intangible cultural heritage experiences, are very popular among tourists. The rural market in northern Anhui, for example, staged wonderful performances , such as Huainan Shouxian drum, Suzhou Sixian Sizhou opera, and Taihe lion lantern , among others, attracting many tourists. Various places in Fujian have carried out splendid, themed activities around the “Fu” culture .
A sense of cultural self-confidence among young Chinese people can be attributed as the main reason for the growth of such cultural destinations and scenic spots – not to be confused with the popular “Red Tourism” .
Closer to nature
The data collected by Ctrip at the beginning of 2022, revealed that natural protected areas and national forest parks appeared in the top five popular scenic spots announced by over 22 cities on the mainland.
Indeed, Chinese travelers are paying increasing attention to nature-immersive destinations. According to the report of Qiaoyou.com, more than half of the app’s users have been to at least one of the first batch of national parks officially announced in October 2021, and 83.6 percent of the surveyed people plan to travel there in the future.
It is worth mentioning that Chinese tourists nowadays engage more with natural destinations through a variety of activities, such as photography, acquiring natural knowledge, exercising, etc. Increasing this skill set has become an important factor in attracting travelers to explore outdoor scenic spots; hiking and camping have become popular new ways to get closer to nature.
Prospects for outbound tourism
According to recent forecasts , a ‘strong wave’ of outbound travel from China will start up again in 2023, returning to its pre-pandemic levels by 2024. Such predictions are backed by plans announced by the country’s aviation regulator, which has issued a five-year development plan , with a strong focus on expanding domestic flights and restoring international air travel by 2025.
Chinese tourists’ interest in overseas destinations has remained attractive though recovery is still a long way off. The Asia-Pacific region remains the most popular with Chinese tourists. Most desired overseas destinations are Southeast Asia, Europe, Russia, and Japan.
The lifting of international border restrictions in China and the incidence of COVID-19 cases in the destination country are key factors shaping Chinese decision-making about outbound travel. Travel patterns to destinations such as Hong Kong and Macao demonstrate how COVID-19 cases and quarantine requirements have an immediate effect on travelers’ decision-making.
Innovation is key to the development of China’s tourism products
Fintech for flexibility .
New payment patterns have been quietly emerging behind the scenes as the travel sector has steadily recovered from the pandemic slowdown. One of the most prominent developments in travel technology in recent years is the growing confluence of finance and travel. Whether it is new payment options offered by travel suppliers, improvements in the flow of funds among tourism market players, or travel agencies launching full-fledged fintech solutions, the way the travel sector does business is rapidly changing.
Aligned with these trends, airlines, hotels, and travel agencies may seek to modify their customer loyalty programs to encourage clients to utilize their specialized services thereby entrenching their position in this high-margin market .
Smart scenic spots
Nearly half of Chinese tourists cited COVID-19 prevention and control measures as the most important factor when planning a trip, according to a survey. Self-guided tours, small group tours, and customized tours with less contact with strangers are preferred. This may accelerate the pace of construction of smart scenic spots.
Through online platforms and the travel app of the scenic spot, tourists can learn about their destination, find information to support travel route planning, book tickets for scenic spots and hotel accommodation, besides online shopping for souvenirs in advance. Such services and digital products allow tourists to be informed before, during , and after their tour is completed, while also enhancing the attraction of scenic spots.
Technology empowers hospitality
With the deepening integration of “Internet +” tourism, information communication technology has become the driving force for tourism development.
With newer applications of the Internet, big data, and artificial intelligence, which will get accelerated in the 5G era, digital technology is being fully integrated into the tourism industry. This has brought changes to tourism supply and consumption, promoting new business models, and higher quality development of the tourism industry overall.
Alibaba, China’s e-commerce and technology behemoth debuted its first robotic hotel, the FlyZoo Hotel, in December 2018. This “hotel of the future” was set up in the company’s hometown, Hangzhou , by Alibaba’s online travel agency (Fliggy) together with other company divisions, including Alibaba A.I. Labs and Alibaba Cloud.
This high-tech hotel’s major goal is to show how artificial intelligence is already changing China’s hospitality sector and how it will motivate other countries’ travel and hospitality sectors to embrace innovation.
FlyZoo Hotel CEO Wang Qun has frequently said in several interviews that the company would keep developing “smart brains” for automated hotels in China as well as more specialized experiences for visitors.
Key takeaways for foreign investors
Retail shopping while traveling .
Retail shopping while traveling is emerging as a popular consumption trend in China. The pop-up store may not be a brand-new concept, but it is making a comeback in the Chinese travel landscape. For instance, in collaboration with China Duty-Free Group, several companies, including SK-II and Clé de Peau Beauté, have opened pop-up shops in Hainan to cater to the demands of customers who have been unable to go abroad due to the epidemic.
Clé de Peau Beauté’s pop-up shop , for instance, has hosted several live-streamed events, and offered exclusive experiences in Sanya (a top-tourist city on the Chinese island of Hainan), including a simulator room, QR codes, and AR mirrors. These features have notably improved the Clé de Peau Beauté pop-up experience, with the live stream attracting a record of 6.4 million impressions and over 700,000 views on Yizhibo.
Meanwhile, an AI skin analyzer, animated shorts, a WeChat mini-program, as well as an AR video game were among the features included at SK-“Social II’s Retail” pop-up store (also located in the Sanya International Duty-Free Shopping Complex).
Travel companies need to adapt
There is a clear desire to travel, and a huge pent-up demand for outbound travel. At the same time, despite intermittent COVID-19 outbreaks, interest in domestic travel has continued to increase – particularly whenever the epidemic situation stabilizes. In this fluid market scenario, travel agencies can plan for demand spikes while also considering changing travel tastes. To better serve tourists, travel agencies may need to become more flexible with their strategies. Given frequent changes in legislation, travel agencies can be more accommodating when clients adjust their plans. Additionally, they may concentrate on nearby communities that are accessible by car, diversify their product offerings to adapt to demand changes, and foster loyalty by paying closer attention to customer happiness and the distinctiveness of the tourism experience. Travel agencies may also utilize digital channels to communicate with consumers and can customize content and presentation.
Analyzing trends in the tourism industry suggests that China’s domestic market has much-untapped potential. Various opportunities exist for the travel industry to diversify its product offerings, such as through curated and immersive experiences or by responding to changing customer needs. In turn, tourism marketing strategies can incorporate insights from the dynamic experiences of the domestic market during the pandemic — enabling the domestic operating model to achieve long-term inclusive and sustainable growth.
Gen Z is the new decision-makers
Consumers no longer primarily travel for shopping. Gen Z in China, which dominates the upcoming generation of tourists, seeks different experiences when traveling. Hiking, low-altitude flying, and water sports are just a few of the trending activities researched by this new group of travelers, according to recent data .
This shows that tourists now seek more than a pleasant travel experience. They are typically more specific about their travel goals and eager to meet individuals who share their interests. This opens space for companies to engage in the digital market and invest in social media apps that feature tools to connect with travel and tourism. Additionally, most young travelers looking for a variety of unique experiences. Since social media content is how many choose their specific destinations or travel activities, Gen Z tourists in China are eager to replicate some of the experiences they encounter on these apps. Therefore, the way to win these consumers’ hearts, particularly in this demographic group, is to offer experiences (rather than products) – which may have more personal value.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates . The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done so since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at [email protected] . Dezan Shira & Associates has offices in Vietnam , Indonesia , Singapore , United States , Germany , Italy , India , and Russia , in addition to our trade research facilities along the Belt & Road Initiative . We also have partner firms assisting foreign investors in The Philippines , Malaysia , Thailand , Bangladesh .
- Previous Article China to Further Extend the Additional VAT Deduction Policy for the Services Industry
- Next Article Camping and Outdoor Activity – Tapping into China’s Hottest New Travel Trend
Our free webinars are packed full of useful information for doing business in China.
DEZAN SHIRA & ASSOCIATES
Meet the firm behind our content. Visit their website to see how their services can help your business succeed.
Want the Latest Sent to Your Inbox?
Subscribing grants you this, plus free access to our articles and magazines.
Get free access to our subscriptions and publications
Subscribe to receive weekly China Briefing news updates, our latest doing business publications, and access to our Asia archives.
Your trusted source for China business, regulatory and economy news, since 1999.
Subscribe now to receive our weekly China Edition newsletter. Its free with no strings attached.
Not convinced? Click here to see our last week's issue.
Search our guides, media and news archives
Type keyword to begin searching...
We've detected unusual activity from your computer network
To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.
Why did this happen?
Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .
For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.
This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to collect information about how you interact with our website and allow us to remember you. We use this information in order to improve and customize your browsing experience and for analytics and metrics about our visitors both on this website and other media. To find out more about the cookies we use, see our Cookies Policy .
If you decline, your information won’t be tracked when you visit this website. A single cookie will be used in your browser to remember your preference not to be tracked.
China Tourism Industry Overview
Domestic tourist, view china's domestic tourist from 1990 to 2023 in the chart:.
Domestic Tourist: Expenditure: per Capita
View china's domestic tourist: expenditure: per capita from 1994 to 2022 in the chart:.
Outbound Tourist
View china's outbound tourist from 2014 to 2019 in the chart:.
Tourism Industry: Number of Employee
View china's tourism industry: number of employee from 1999 to 2017 in the chart:.
Tourism Industry: Total Revenue
View china's tourism industry: total revenue from 1999 to 2019 in the chart:.
Tourism Revenue: Domestic
View china's tourism revenue: domestic from 1990 to 2023 in the chart:.
Tourism Revenue: Foreign Currency: Year to Date
View china's tourism revenue: foreign currency: year to date from jan 2001 to dec 2023 in the chart:.
Travel Agency: Fixed Asset
View china's travel agency: fixed asset from 2000 to 2015 in the chart:.
Travel Agency: Number of Employee
View china's travel agency: number of employee from 1997 to 2021 in the chart:.
Travel Agency: Number of Enterprise
View china's travel agency: number of enterprise from 1995 to 2021 in the chart:.
Travel Agency: Number of Enterprise: Domestic
View china's travel agency: number of enterprise: domestic from 1996 to 2008 in the chart:.
Travel Agency: Number of Enterprise: International
View china's travel agency: number of enterprise: international from 1996 to 2008 in the chart:.
Travel Agency: Profit
View china's travel agency: profit from 2003 to 2021 in the chart:.
Travel Agency: Revenue
View china's travel agency: revenue from 2000 to 2021 in the chart:.
Travel Agency: Tax
View china's travel agency: tax from 2000 to 2016 in the chart:.
Visitor Arrival: Overnight: Year to Date
View china's visitor arrival: overnight: year to date from jan 2000 to dec 2019 in the chart:.
Resident Departures
View china's resident departures from 1994 to 2023 in the chart:.
Explore our Data
- Asia-Pacific
- Middle-East and Africa
- Documentary
- Learn Chinese
The press conference featuring "This Decade in China" in Beijing, China, August 24. /CFP
China attaches great importance to cultural construction and tourism development, promoting historic achievements and changes in culture and tourism, a Ministry of Culture and Tourism official told media in Beijing on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference that reflects on China over the last decade, Rao Quan, vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said, "Over the past ten years, the cultural industry and tourism industry have flourished."
"The role of the cultural empowerment and tourism drive has fully emerged, and the influence of Chinese culture has continued to rise," he said.
Achievements of China's cultural and tourism industry
Rao said China's achievements in cultural tourism and cultural heritage in recent years are reflected in five main areas: the thriving of the artistic creation, the continuous improvement of the modern public cultural service system, the rapid development of the cultural and tourism industry, the significant results in cultural heritage protection and inheritance, and the higher level of foreign exchange and cooperation achieved through the cultural and tourism sector.
China has continuously improved the working mechanism, increased its support of the National Arts Foundation and ensured a leading role of various activities concerning literary and artistic awards and exhibitions, so that artistic creation continues to prosper, he said.
Continuous improvement has also been made to China's modern public cultural service system. National cultural services standards have been introduced, and the protection of citizens' basic cultural rights has become increasingly more efficient.
By the end of 2021, there were 3,215 public libraries, 3,316 cultural centers, 40,200 cultural stations, and 575,400 village-level comprehensive cultural service centers nationwide. Meanwhile, all public libraries, cultural centers, art galleries, and 91 percent of museums are open to the public for free.
Innovation and creativity have improved the standards of the culture and tourism industry and boosted its growth. The rapid development of the digital cultural sector, "cloud exhibition," online performance, live webcasts, immersive experiences and other new businesses have also accelerated the sector's rise.
By the end of 2021, China ranked second in the world with 56 World Heritage sites and 42 items on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, ranking first in the world. Additionally, more than 1,800 sets of lost cultural relics were returned to China.
China's exchanges and cooperation with foreign countries have also intensified, fostering a higher level of opening up to the outside world in culture and tourism. China currently has cultural and tourism agencies in 93 countries and has signed inter-governmental agreements on cultural and tourism cooperation with 157 countries.
Efforts to protect China's cultural heritage
Regarding cultural heritage work, Jin Ruiguo from the National Cultural Heritage Administration said China has made historic achievements in many areas.
"China has made an overall plan to strengthen the protection and utilization of cultural relics and issued six relevant policy documents, which is a reflection of the continued deepening of awareness of cultural relics protection," said Jin.
At the same time, China's efforts to protect cultural relics continue to increase, and the overall situation of cultural relics safety is good. The reform of heritage museums continues to push forward, and a new type of modern museum system has formed, with a total of 6,183 museums of record nationwide, and the free access rate reached 91 percent. The total number of exhibitions held annually has also increased by 144 percent.
Highlights of China's tourism development
With the booming tourism industry in China, tourism products are becoming more and more extensive. Rural tourism development, infrastructure, product supply and services continue to optimize and improve, and China has launched 1,299 national rural tourism key villages and towns.
It is estimated that in 2019, China's rural tourism reception exceeded three billion people.
Tourists visit the site of the Zunyi Conference, one of the national red tourism scenic areas in Zunyi City in southwestern China's Guizhou Province, August 4, 2022. /CFP
Red tourism has also significantly increased, with national red tourism-related scenic areas expanding from 100 to 300 in the past decade. In 2019, it realized an average annual growth rate of more than 11 percent in visitors, reaching 1.41 billion visitors. Red tourism is a subsector of the tourism industry where people visit locations with historical significance to China's "red" past and is very popular among young Chinese.
Leisure and vacation tourism are also constantly meeting people's diversified and personalized leisure and vacation needs, taking the initiative to adapt to the diversified needs of consumers for tourism consumption, promoting the quality and efficiency of scenic tourist spots. China has a tourism rating system that rates tourist attractions from A to 5A based on their overall quality, and the number of national 5A tourism scenic areas increased from 144 in 2012 to 306 in 2021.
Search Trends
Copyright © 2020 CGTN. 京ICP备16065310号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466
- Terms of use
- Privacy policy
- INSTITUTIONS
The State Council, in a circular on Jan 20, announced a development plan for the tourism sector during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).
By 2025, China will have a stronger modern system for the tourism sector integrating cultural development and boasting an improved barrier-free environment and services. By 2035, the country aims to become a world tourism powerhouse, with a wider variety of tourist hot spots, including national cultural parks, world-class tourist attractions and resorts, and State-level cities and blocks serving tourism and leisure.
Modern tourism requires supply-side structural reform, high-quality tourism products, and integration with other industries, the circular said.
It involves promoting smart tourism with digital, networked and intelligent scenarios and expanding the application of new technologies in tourism.
To incorporate tourism into major regional strategies and coordinated development, the circular urged efforts to harness the four national cultural parks covering the Great Wall, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the route of the Long March and the Yellow River, and the Silk Road tourism belt, among others, to blaze new travel trails across China.
Other efforts include building world-class tourism cities such as Guilin to drive regional tourism and encouraging more cities to list tourism and leisure as basic urban functions.
Tourism development, the circular said, should pursue harmonious co-existence with nature in steadily building national cultural parks and national parks, protecting historical resources, based on general surveys of Chinese cultural resources, and natural resources.
National cultural parks, it added, should seek to highlight the unique creations, values and distinctive characteristics of the Chinese culture.
To advance mass tourism and consumption, preferential policies, services, and public infrastructure should keep up with emerging development patterns such as contactless tourism and consumption.
A modern tourism governance system should be in place for handling tourist complaints to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, emergency responses, as well as prevention and control of major risks from disasters and accidents.
The plan maps out promoting inbound and outbound travel in an orderly, steady manner, on the premise that the global COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control. With epidemic prevention and control prioritized, entries to China should be subject to real-name reservation of tickets, and inbound travel by cruise ship and self-driving tours should be facilitated with easier customs clearance.
Cooperation with Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and international collaboration in the tourism industry are also stressed.
- China issues block recommendation list for tourism, leisure
- China's tourism industry sees strong post-pandemic recovery
- China sees robust tourism, consumption during National Day holiday
Copyright© www.gov.cn | About us | Contact us
Website identification code bm01000001 registration number: 05070218, all rights reserved. the content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to www.gov.cn., without written authorization from www.gov.cn, such content shall not be republished or used in any form., copyright© www.gov.cn | contact us, website identification code bm01000001, registration number: 05070218.
Advertisement
Tourism and sustainable development in China: a review
- Research Article
- Published: 08 July 2020
- Volume 27 , pages 39077–39093, ( 2020 )
Cite this article
- Chen Haibo 1 ,
- Emmanuel Caesar Ayamba ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5808-6239 1 , 2 ,
- Thomas Bilaliib Udimal 3 ,
- Andrew Osei Agyemang 2 &
- Appiah Ruth 4
2210 Accesses
26 Citations
Explore all metrics
The adaption of the open-up reform policies in China some three decades ago has resulted in a rapid economic transformation of which the tourism sector has equally witnessed fast development. Therefore, the essence of this article is to review the evolution and expansion of the tourism industry in China and its obligation to observing international sustainable development policies and practices. Indications of the current policy regime, establishment, and institutions, sustainable development strategies to ensure continuity and availability of resources for future use, environmental sustainability laws and regulations, and promotional events for the development of the tourism industry are made available in this article. In effect, this article reviews how the activities of the tourism sector impacts on the environment. The findings show that China in its quest to be a world leader of tourists’ destination has impacted negatively on the environment which by extension affect the economy and society at large. On the other hand, as a leading nation in the United Nations, China has in contemporary times adapted sustainable development strategies to help safeguard the environment. However, more needs to be done in the area of advanced technology and renewable energy.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this article
Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)
Instant access to the full article PDF.
Rent this article via DeepDyve
Institutional subscriptions
Similar content being viewed by others
Sustainable Tourism Development in the Ionian Islands. The Case of Corfu Island
Tourism in Bangladesh: A Future Outlook
Sustainable Tourism and Degrowth: Searching for a Path to Societal Well-Being
Formerly the agency responsible for the management and operation of the tourism sector in China.
Countries that have adhered to the World Heritage Convention, including the non-member state of the Holy See
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese leader who held the ideology that the task faced by the leadership of China was twofold: (i) promoting modernization of the Chinese economy through the theory of the productive forces, and (ii) preserving the ideological unity of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and its control of the difficult reforms required by modernization
Aimed at increasing rest times for Chinese workers accompanied with statutory paid annual entitlements to encourage the demand for domestic tourism and its related facilities, products, and activities.
Provision of eco-friendly services in the areas of transport and business to encourage easy access to tourist sites
Expansion of tourism facilities especially for those with additional needs
Encourages the usage of most advanced technological resources in the development of the tourism industry. Additionally, it seeks to diversify Chinese tourism to the development of new tourism sub-sectors such as sport tourism, medical tourism, bicycle tourism, and “red tourism” (a form of political tourism that celebrates the Chinese state and its recent revolutionary history, and aims to promote “fine traditional culture”)
Creation of new tourist information services, road signage, and websites to increase public awareness. Also, it aims at encouraging staff training at higher and vocational education levels for the tourism management
Aims at improving service and quality standards including a quality guarantee system for tourism and leisure.
Maximum population size of a given species that an area can support without reducing its ability to support the same species in the future or simply the maximum pressure or load that a system can conveniently withstand before breaking down.
Ahmad F, Draz M, Su L, Ozturk I, Rauf A (2018) Tourism and environmental pollution: evidence from the one belt one road provinces of Western China. Sustainability 10(10):3520
CAS Google Scholar
Al-Mulali U, Fereidouni HG, Mohammed AH (2015) The effect of tourism arrival on CO2 emissions from transportation sector. Anatolia 26(2):230–243
Google Scholar
Archer B, Cooper C, Ruhanen L (2005) The positive and negative impacts of tourism. Glob Tour 3:79–102
Arlt WG (2018) China’s new ministry of culture and tourism. Retrieved from https://china-outbound.com/editorial-ministry-of-tourism/>accessed November 2019
Arushanyan Y, Ekener E, Moberg Å (2017) Sustainability assessment framework for scenarios–SAFS. Environ Impact Assess Rev 63:23–34
Asadzadeh A, Mousavi M (2017) The role of tourism on the environment and its governing law. Electron J Biol 13(2):152–158
Ayamba EC, Haibo C, Musah A-AI, Ruth A, Osei-Agyemang A (2019) An empirical model on the impact of foreign direct investment on China’s environmental pollution: analysis based on simultaneous equations. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26(16):16239–16248
Banerjee M (2013) Spiritual tourism: a tool for socio-cultural and sustainable development. Int J Sci
Baumgärtner S, Quaas M (2010) What is sustainability economics? Ecol Econ 69(3):445–450
Ben-Eli M (2015) Sustainability: definition and five core principles. A Sustainability Laboratory Publication, New York
Boyer RH, Peterson ND, Arora P, Caldwell K (2016) Five approaches to social sustainability and an integrated way forward. Sustainability 8(9):878
Brasier KJ, Filteau MR, McLaughlin DK, Jacquet J, Stedman RC, Kelsey TW, Goetz SJ (2011) Residents’ perceptions of community and environmental impacts from development of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale: a comparison of Pennsylvania and New York cases. J Rural Soc Sci 26(1):32
Buckley R (2011) Tourism and environment. Annu Rev Environ Resour 36:397–416
Cadarso M-Á, Gómez N, López L-A, Tobarra M-Á, Zafrilla J-E (2015) Quantifying Spanish tourism’s carbon footprint: the contributions of residents and visitors: a longitudinal study. J Sustain Tour 23(6):922–946
Chiang M-H (2012) The changing role of tourism in China’s economy: 旅游业在中国经济发展中 的角色. J China Tour Res 8(2):207–223
Chou MC (2013) Does tourism development promote economic growth in transition countries? A panel data analysis. Econ Model 33:226–232
Cohen B (2004) Urban growth in developing countries: a review of current trends and a caution regarding existing forecasts. World Dev Psychol 32(1):23–51
Council, S (2013) The outline for national tourism and leisure (2013–2020) Beijing: General Office of the State Council
CTA (2019) General situation of 2018 tourism market. Beijing Retrieved from http://eng.ctaweb.org/html/2019-5/2019-5-22-15-23-75986.html . Accessed, November 2019
Cunha, A. A. (2010). Negative effects of tourism in a Brazilian Atlantic forest National Park. J Nat Conserv , 18(4), 291–295
Dan L, Philip W (2011) Sustainable tourism development---how sustainable are China’s cultural heritage sites. Proceedings of the Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium
Dempsey N, Bramley G, Power S, Brown C (2011) The social dimension of sustainable development: defining urban social sustainability. Sustain Dev 19(5):289–300
Devkota S (2010) Environmental management framework for urban governance and development program (UGDP)
Diesendorf M (2000) Sustainability and sustainable development. In: Dunphy D, Sutton P, Beneviste J, Griffiths A (eds) Sustainbility. The corporate challenge of the 21st century. Allen & Unwin, Australia
Dixon JA, Carpenter RA, Fallon LA, Sherman PB, Manipomoke S (2013) Economic analysis of the environmental impacts of development projects. Routledge
Fauzel S (2020) FDI and tourism futures: a dynamic investigation for a panel of small island economies. J Tour Futur
Fauzel S, Seetanah B, Sannassee R (2017) Analysing the impact of tourism foreign direct investment on economic growth: evidence from a small island developing state. Tour Econ 23(5):1042–1055
Glasson J, Therivel R (2013) Introduction to environmental impact assessment. Routledge
Gray R (2010) Is accounting for sustainability actually accounting for sustainability… and how would we know? An exploration of narratives of organisations and the planet. Acc Organ Soc 35(1):47–62
Guarin A, Knorringa P (2014) New middle-class consumers in rising powers: responsible consumption and private standards. Oxf Dev Stud 42(2):151–171
Guha R (2014) Environmentalism: a global history. Penguin UK
Hák T, Janoušková S, Moldan B (2016) Sustainable development goals: a need for relevant indicators. Ecol Indic 60:565–573
Higham J, Cohen SA, Cavaliere CT, Reis A, Finkler W (2016) Climate change, tourist air travel and radical emissions reduction. J Clean Prod 111:336–347
Honggang X, Trevor S (2013) Sustainability in Chinese development tourism policies. Curr Issues Tour 19(13):1337–1355. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2013.849665
Article Google Scholar
IPCC (2018) Global Warming of 1.5 °C: an IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty. . Retrieved from Available at: http://ipcc.ch/report/sr15/ . Accessed Devember, 2019
Jeftic L, Sheavly S, Adler E (2009) Marine litter: a global challenge. UNEP
Jinping X (2017) Xi Jinping’s report at 19th CPC National Congress. Retrieved from Available at http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/19thcpcnationalcongress/2017-11/04/content_34115212.htm . Accessed December, 2019
Kuhlman T, Farrington J (2010) What is sustainability? Sustainability 2(11):3436–3448
Kuhn BM (2018) China is keen on promoting sustainable development. Retrieved from https://www.dandc.eu/en/article/china-keen-promoting-sustainable-development . Accessed December 2019
Lampton DM (1987) Chinese politics: the bargaining treadmill. Issues Stud 23(3):13–20
Lange GM, Wodon Q, Carey K (2018) The changing wealth of nations 2018: building a sustainable future. Retrieved from Washington, DC: available at: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/29001 . Accessed December, 2019
Leung Y-F, Spenceley A, Hvenegaard G, Buckley R (2018) Tourism and visitor management in protected areas: guidelines for sustainability. IUCN Gland
Liu Z (2016) China’s carbon emissions report 2016
Liu X (2017) ‘New era for China and new chapter of the China – UK Cooperation, House of Commons’, speech at the British Parliament. Retrieved from Britain: available at http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/tpxw/t1512703.htm . Accessed December, 2019
Lozano R (2008) Envisioning sustainability three-dimensionally. J Clean Prod 16(17):1838–1846
Managi S, Kumar P (2018) Inclusive wealth report 2018: measuring progress towards sustainability. Routledge
Maskay BK, Nyachhyon BL (2010) Preserve planet earth: climate change. Environ Prot Sustain
McKenzie S (2004) Social sustainability: towards some definitions
MCT (2018) China’s ministry of culture and tourism inaugurated in Beijing. Beijing Retrieved from http://english.www.gov.cn/state_council/ministries/2018/04/08/content_281476105453512.htm . Accessed December, 2019
MCT (2019a) China’s inbound tourism remains steady in 2018. BEIJING Retrieved from http://english.www.gov.cn/archive/statistics/2019/02/06/content_281476510410482.htm . Accessed, November 2019
MCT (2019b) State Council’s efforts to promote China’s culture and tourism industry. Beijing Retrieved from http://english.www.gov.cn/premier/news/2017/05/19/content_281475660262824.htm . Accessed December 2019
Middleton V (1994) Marketing in travel and tourism. Routledge, London
Middleton VTR, Hawkins R (1998) Sustainable tourism: a marketing perspective. Butterworth-Heinemann, London
Mihaljek D (2005) Free movement of capital, the real estate market and tourism: a blessing or a curse for Croatia on its way to the European Union?
Mimi Lia BW, Caia L (2007) Tourism development of World Heritage Sites in China: a geographic perspective. Tour Manag 29:308–319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2007.03.013
Mont OK (2002) Clarifying the concept of product–service system. J Clean Prod 10(3):237–245
Morelli J (2011) Environmental sustainability: a definition for environmental professionals. J Environ Sustain 1(1):2
Mori K, Christodoulou A (2012) Review of sustainability indices and indicators: towards a new City Sustainability Index (CSI). Environ Impact Assess Rev 32(1):94–106
NBSC (2019) Statistical Communiqué of the People’s Republic of China on the 2018 National Economic and Social Development. Beijing: National Bureau of Statistics of China Retrieved from http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/201902/t20190228_1651335.html . Accessed, Devember 2019
Neuweg I, Stern N (2019) China’s 14th Plan, sustainable development and the new era. Retrieved from London Available http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Chinas-14th-plan-sustainable-development-and-the-new-era.pdf . Accessed Devember, 2019
Niñerola A, Sánchez-Rebull M-V, Hernández-Lara A-B (2019) Tourism research on sustainability: a bibliometric analysis. Sustainability 11(5):1377
Reddy TL, Thomson R (2014) Environmental, social and economic sustainability: implications for actuarial science. University of the Witwatersrand , School of Statistics and Actuarial Science
Rembeci G (2016) Sustainable tourism as a smart alternative to boost economic development in Shkodra Region Godiva Rembeci, Elizabeta Susaj
Ren T, Can M, Paramati SR, Fang J, Wu W (2019) The impact of tourism quality on economic development and environment: evidence from mediterranean countries. Sustainability 11(8):2296
Richards G, Marques L (2018) Creating synergies between cultural policy and tourism for permanent and temporary citizens: committee on culture of UCLG
Scott D, Amelung B, Becken S, Ceron J-P, Dubois G, Gössling S et al (2008) Climate change and tourism: responding to global challenges. World Tourism Organization, Madrid 230:1–38
Seghezzo L (2009) The five dimensions of sustainability. Environ Polit 18(4):539–556
Sharif A, Afshan S, Nisha N (2017) Impact of tourism on CO2 emission: evidence from Pakistan. Asia Pac J Tour Res 22(4):408–421
Sharpley R, Telfer DJ (2015) Tourism and development: concepts and issues (Vol. 63). Channel view publications
Smith SL (1995) Tourism and the environment: regional, economic, and policy issues: Edited by Helen Briassoulis and Jan van der Straaten. Kluwer Academic Publishers (PO Box 989, 3300 AZ Dordrecht, The Netherlands) ISBN 0-7923-1986-9, 1992, vi+ 169 pages (tables, figures, references, index) Dfl 150.00 (cloth): Pergamon
Stoddart H, Schneeberger K, Dodds F, Shaw A, Bottero M, Cornforth J, White R (2011) A pocket guide to sustainable development governance
Tang Z, Bai S, Shi C, Liu L, Li X (2018) Tourism-related CO2 emission and its decoupling effects in China: a spatiotemporal perspective. Adv Meteorol:2018
Teresa L, Lucia L (2017) A glimpse of China’s domestic tourism market - the new Chinese travelers drive new trends in domestic travel. Chinese Consumers Series. Fung Business Intelligence, Kowloon
THECHINAGUIDE (2019) 2018 China inbound tourism statistics: when and where to go. Retrieved from https://www.thechinaguide.com/blog/2018-china-inbound-tourism-report . Accessed December, 2019
Tosun C (2000) Limits to community participation in the tourism development process in developing countries. Tour Manag 21(6):613–633
UNEP (2018) Emissions gap report 2018 (978–92–807-3726-4). Retrieved from Nairobi, Kenya
UNESCO (2019) World Heritage List Statistics. Retrieved from https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/stat/ . Accessed Decembe 2019
UNFCCC (2016) The Paris Agreement. Retrieved from France, Paris: available at https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement . Accessed Devember, 2019
UNWTO (2019) International tourist arrivals reach 14 billion two years ahead forecasts [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.unwto.org/press-release/2019-01-21/international-tourist-arrivals-reach-14-billion-two-years-ahead-forecasts . Accessed December 2019
WCED, S. W. S (1987) World commission on environment and development. Our common future , 17, 1–91
WEF (2019) The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019. Retrieved from Geneva
Wei, X. A., & Zen, B. W. (2009). Tourism policies and regulations. Beijing. The Chinese Normal University Press
Xia B, Dong S, Ba D, Li Y, Li F, Liu H, Li Z, Zhao M (2018) Research on the spatial differentiation and driving factors of tourism enterprises’ efficiency: Chinese scenic spots, travel agencies, and hotels. Sustainability 10(4):901
Xiao HG (2006) The discourse of power: Deng Xiaoping and tourism development in China. Tour Manag 27(5):803–814
Zhang S, Zhong L, Ju H, Wang Y (2019) Land border tourism resources in China: spatial patterns and tourism management. Sustainability 11(1):236
Zhao J, Li S-M (2018) The impact of tourism development on the environment in China. Acta Sci Malays 2:01–04
Download references
This work was supported by the General Project of National Social Science Fund “Research on the Motivation and Path of Supply-side Structural Reform for High-quality Development of China’s Tourism Economy” (grant number 18BJY198).
Author information
Authors and affiliations.
School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212012, People’s Republic of China
Chen Haibo & Emmanuel Caesar Ayamba
School of Business and Management Studies, Bolgatanga Technical University, Sumbrungu, Ghana
Emmanuel Caesar Ayamba & Andrew Osei Agyemang
College of Economics and Management, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China
Thomas Bilaliib Udimal
School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
Appiah Ruth
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
Corresponding author
Correspondence to Emmanuel Caesar Ayamba .
Additional information
Responsible editor: Eyup Dogan
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Reprints and permissions
About this article
Haibo, C., Ayamba, E.C., Udimal, T.B. et al. Tourism and sustainable development in China: a review. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27 , 39077–39093 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10016-7
Download citation
Received : 06 March 2020
Accepted : 03 July 2020
Published : 08 July 2020
Issue Date : November 2020
DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10016-7
Share this article
Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:
Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.
Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative
- Tourism industry
- Economic development
- Environmental sustainability
- Sustainable development
- Environmental pollution
- Find a journal
- Publish with us
- Track your research
US travel sector faces long wait for China tourism to hit 2019 highs
- Medium Text
Sign up here.
Reporting by Aishwarya Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab
Markets Chevron
Gulf bourses end mixed; Egypt extends decline
Stock markets in the Gulf put in a mixed performance on Sunday amid rising oil prices and receding hopes of rapid interest rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve after a series of inflation readings.
Travel, Tourism & Hospitality
Contribution of China's travel and tourism industry to GDP 2014-2023
Travel and tourism industry's share of gdp in china from 2014 to 2022 with a forecast for 2023, by direct and total contribution.
Additional Information
Show sources information Show publisher information Use Ask Statista Research Service
2014 to 2022
*Forecast. Direct contributions cover visitor exports, domestic expenditure, internal tourism consumption, government individual spending, and purchases made by tourism providers (including imported goods). The figure was not disclosed from 2018 onwards.
Other statistics on the topic Tourism industry in China
- Number of visitors to the U.S. from China 2005-2025
- Number of outbound visitor departures from China 2010-2024
- International tourist arrivals in China 2010-2021
Leisure Travel
- Revenue from tourism in China 2012-2022
- Immediate access to statistics, forecasts & reports
- Usage and publication rights
- Download in various formats
You only have access to basic statistics.
- Instant access to 1m statistics
- Download in XLS, PDF & PNG format
- Detailed references
Business Solutions including all features.
Statistics on " Travel and tourism industry in China "
- Growth rate in tourism revenue in China 2012-2022
- Contribution of China's travel and tourism industry to GDP 2014-2023
- Number of travel and tourism jobs in China 2019-2033
- Number of travel agencies in China 2008-2022
- Tourism revenue during Chinese New Year in China 2017-2024
- Travel destinations planned by Chinese people for 2022
- Number of domestic tourist arrivals in China 2013-2023
- Quarterly domestic tourist arrivals in China Q4 2019-Q4 2023
- Expenses of domestic tourists in China 2013-2023
- Total number of local tourists during Chinese New Year in China 2017-2024
- Most popular domestic travel destinations of Chinese millionaires 2024
- China's revenue from international tourism 2000-2021
- International tourism spending of Chinese tourists 2008-2021
- Most popular international travel destinations among Chinese millionaires 2024
- Transaction volume of the Chinese online travel booking market 2013-2022
- Number of online travel booking users in China 2015-2023
- Penetration rate of online travel booking in China 2015-2023
- Market share index of leading online travel agencies in China 2019
- Revenue of Trip.com Group 2012-2022
- Tuniu's revenue 2014-2022
- Reasons to not travel long-haul to Europe worldwide 2023, by country
- COVID-19 coronavirus impact on domestic tourism in China 2020
- Travel sector employee employment situation during coronavirus pandemic in China 2022
- Unemployment length in travel sector during coronavirus pandemic in China 2022
- Expected time of traveling abroad after lifting quarantine restrictions in China 2022
- Preferred travel destinations after lifting quarantine restrictions in China 2022
Other statistics that may interest you Travel and tourism industry in China
- Premium Statistic Revenue from tourism in China 2012-2022
- Premium Statistic Growth rate in tourism revenue in China 2012-2022
- Basic Statistic Contribution of China's travel and tourism industry to GDP 2014-2023
- Basic Statistic Number of travel and tourism jobs in China 2019-2033
- Premium Statistic Number of travel agencies in China 2008-2022
- Premium Statistic Tourism revenue during Chinese New Year in China 2017-2024
- Premium Statistic Travel destinations planned by Chinese people for 2022
Domestic tourism
- Premium Statistic Number of domestic tourist arrivals in China 2013-2023
- Premium Statistic Quarterly domestic tourist arrivals in China Q4 2019-Q4 2023
- Premium Statistic Expenses of domestic tourists in China 2013-2023
- Premium Statistic Total number of local tourists during Chinese New Year in China 2017-2024
- Premium Statistic Most popular domestic travel destinations of Chinese millionaires 2024
International tourism
- Premium Statistic China's revenue from international tourism 2000-2021
- Premium Statistic International tourist arrivals in China 2010-2021
- Premium Statistic Number of outbound visitor departures from China 2010-2024
- Premium Statistic International tourism spending of Chinese tourists 2008-2021
- Premium Statistic Number of visitors to the U.S. from China 2005-2025
- Premium Statistic Most popular international travel destinations among Chinese millionaires 2024
Online travel market
- Premium Statistic Transaction volume of the Chinese online travel booking market 2013-2022
- Premium Statistic Number of online travel booking users in China 2015-2023
- Premium Statistic Penetration rate of online travel booking in China 2015-2023
- Premium Statistic Market share index of leading online travel agencies in China 2019
- Premium Statistic Revenue of Trip.com Group 2012-2022
- Premium Statistic Tuniu's revenue 2014-2022
COVID-19 impact on tourism industry
- Premium Statistic Reasons to not travel long-haul to Europe worldwide 2023, by country
- Premium Statistic COVID-19 coronavirus impact on domestic tourism in China 2020
- Premium Statistic Travel sector employee employment situation during coronavirus pandemic in China 2022
- Premium Statistic Unemployment length in travel sector during coronavirus pandemic in China 2022
- Premium Statistic Expected time of traveling abroad after lifting quarantine restrictions in China 2022
- Premium Statistic Preferred travel destinations after lifting quarantine restrictions in China 2022
Further related statistics
- Basic Statistic Forecast: economic contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide 2020-2029
- Basic Statistic Global travel and tourism expenditure 2019-2022, by type
- Premium Statistic Inbound tourism of visitors from Denmark to the Netherlands 2013-2019
- Premium Statistic Leading European countries in the Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021
- Premium Statistic Inbound tourism of visitors from Russia to the Netherlands 2013-2018
- Premium Statistic Leading countries in the MEA in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2018
- Premium Statistic Sub-Saharan African countries in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2019
- Premium Statistic Leisure, travel and tourism apprenticeships in England 2011-2019
- Basic Statistic Tourism: Scottish Household Final Consumption Expenditure 2000-2017
- Premium Statistic Countries with the least restrictive visa requirements worldwide 2014
- Premium Statistic Countries with the most restrictive visa requirements worldwide 2014
- Premium Statistic Evaluation of the tourism infrastructure in the Nordic countries 2021
- Premium Statistic Evaluation of the environmental sustainability in the Nordic countries 2021
- Premium Statistic Price competitiveness ranking of the Nordic countries 2017
- Premium Statistic Reasons for using online travel agencies for booking South Korea 2023, by gender
- Basic Statistic Value added of travel and tourism to GDP in Seychelles 2005-2020
Further Content: You might find this interesting as well
- Forecast: economic contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide 2020-2029
- Global travel and tourism expenditure 2019-2022, by type
- Inbound tourism of visitors from Denmark to the Netherlands 2013-2019
- Leading European countries in the Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021
- Inbound tourism of visitors from Russia to the Netherlands 2013-2018
- Leading countries in the MEA in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2018
- Sub-Saharan African countries in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2019
- Leisure, travel and tourism apprenticeships in England 2011-2019
- Tourism: Scottish Household Final Consumption Expenditure 2000-2017
- Countries with the least restrictive visa requirements worldwide 2014
- Countries with the most restrictive visa requirements worldwide 2014
- Evaluation of the tourism infrastructure in the Nordic countries 2021
- Evaluation of the environmental sustainability in the Nordic countries 2021
- Price competitiveness ranking of the Nordic countries 2017
- Reasons for using online travel agencies for booking South Korea 2023, by gender
- Value added of travel and tourism to GDP in Seychelles 2005-2020
- China Daily PDF
- China Daily E-paper
Shandong conference boosts cultural tourism sector
The 2024 Shandong High-Quality Cultural and Tourism Industry Development Conference opened in Linyi, East China's Shandong province, on April 25, serving as a key platform to strengthen exchanges for the high-quality development of the cultural tourism sector.
Shandong has been actively advancing the innovative transformation of Chinese culture and promoting its two cultural tourism brands – Friendly Shandong and Remarkable Shandong – to foster high-quality development of the cultural and tourism industries, said Zhou Naixiang, governor of Shandong, during his speech at the opening ceremony.
In 2023, Shandong received around 820 million visits by tourists from home and abroad, generating tourism revenue topping 970 billion yuan ($134 billion) and the value-added of the cultural and tourism industry saw solid growth of 11.9 percent year-on-year.
As one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization, Shandong is rich in historical and cultural resources and natural scenery, said Li Qun, vice-minister of Culture and Tourism, at the opening ceremony.
In his speech, Li called on Shandong to leverage its cultural tourism assets to deepen exchanges and cooperation and to enhance the influence of the Chinese civilization on the global stage.
- Shandong produce seller begs for order cancellations after pricing error
- China's job market stable, aided by policy measures, emerging careers
- Industrial robot makers gear up for global expansion
- Around 100 key areas carry out registration work of natural resource rights
- Qingdao West Coast New Area aims to attract SOEs
- China's tourism industry sees strong post-pandemic recovery
During this year's three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, China witnessed more than 88 million domestic trips, about 87.2 percent of the figure for 2019, highlighting the strong recovery momentum in the country's tourism sector.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the tourism revenue during the holiday reached 37.15 billion yuan (about $5.75 billion), recovering to 78.2 percent of that in 2019.
China's tourism industry seems to have adapted to the current situation of regular epidemic prevention and control, with growing market demand and more innovative business models and growth points.
In 2020, the international tourism industry was battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, witnessing a sharp decrease of 73 percent in the number of international tourists worldwide, according to the World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development held in Beijing.
However, with the rigorous implementation of regular epidemic prevention, China's tourism market has gradually recovered since the beginning of this year.
Statistics show that in the first half of 2021, the number of domestic tourists in China reached 1.87 billion, rising by 100.8 percent year on year. The gross revenue of domestic tourism hit 1.63 trillion yuan, up 157.9 percent from one year earlier.
As China's tourism market digested the impact of the pandemic, new trends and business models emerged. Theme-park tours, short-distance tours and road trips have become popular in the past Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.
China's leading online travel agency Trip.com Group, formerly known as Ctrip, released a report on tourism data during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which highlighted the strong demand for short-distance trips.
A number of short-distance tours are offered as bundles with offline social games, such as Jubensha, literally translated as "script homicide" -- a role-playing murder-mystery game that is growing in popularity among young people.
The bundle is one of the novel business models emerging in China's travel market, said He Jingfu, head of an entertainment company in east China's Shandong Province, adding that Jubensha is bringing more possibilities to the tourism industry.
Meanwhile, an increasing number of Chinese tourists are being drawn to domestic theme parks, including the newly-opened Universal Beijing Resort and Shanghai Disneyland.
The Universal Beijing Resort, currently the largest in scale worldwide, opened to the public on Monday, and was ranked among the top three most popular tourist destinations before this year's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, according to Trip.com Group.
On the Qunar.com, China's online travel-service provider, tickets for the resort in the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday were sold out within 30 minutes, with the first one gone in a second.
The recovery of China's cultural tourism market is also bringing more opportunities and benefits to the global tourism industry, aided by various tourism fairs and expos.
From Sept 16 to 20, the 2nd China International Cultural Tourism Fair (CICTF) was held in Shandong's capital city of Jinan, attracting tourism authorities from 17 countries and more than 2,600 exhibitors with over 500,000 exhibits. Deals worth 437 million yuan were inked at the fair, an increase of 20.2 percent over the previous one.
Among the highlights at such exhibitions are goods from countries along the Belt and Road, including exotic souvenirs that would normally be sold to Chinese tourists abroad. Foreign businesses have been making up for the shortfall in orders by promoting their goods directly in China, thereby tapping directly into China's vigorous market.
Davor Richard, who hails from Ghana, went through a difficult time this year. His family is running a trade company in Shanghai, selling African tabla, masks, shea butter and other specialties that were popular among Chinese tourists before the pandemic.
"My business took a serious hit from the pandemic, but now things seem to be picking up again. The Chinese government has organized a lot of fairs just like this one. Customers are contacting us and orders are starting to boom again," said Richard.
Also at the fair was Muzaffar Bhat, an Iranian carpet seller, who said that the world is now sharing the fruit of China's tourism recovery, with tourism fairs like CICTF springing up again and business opportunities popping up anywhere. While the carpet market is relatively niche, he said the huge scale of Chinese market gives him hope for the future.
Go to Forum >> 0 Comment(s)
Add your comments....
- User Name Required
- Your Comment
- During this year's three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, China witnessed more than 88 million domestic trips, about 87.2 percent of the figure for 2019, highlighting the strong recovery momentum in the country's tourism sector.
The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
News & Analysis
- Professional Exclusives
- The News in Brief
- Sustainability
- Direct-to-Consumer
- Global Markets
- Fashion Week
- Workplace & Talent
- Entrepreneurship
- Financial Markets
- Newsletters
- Case Studies
- Masterclasses
- Special Editions
- The State of Fashion
- Read Careers Advice
- BoF Professional
- BoF Careers
- BoF Insights
- Our Journalism
- Work With Us
- Read daily fashion news
- Download special reports
- Sign up for essential email briefings
- Follow topics of interest
- Receive event invitations
- Create job alerts
Chinese Tourists Are Again Embracing International Travel
More than a year since China reopened its borders, some 63 percent of its residents say they’re ready to return to exploring the world, according to a survey published on Wednesday, which Bloomberg previewed. They plan to venture further afield than previously, with just 10 percent spurning international travel altogether — a significant shift from a year ago, when more than half of China’s consumers said they had no plans to go abroad and 31 percent said they weren’t even interested.
The return of China’s travellers has long been awaited in the travel industry, which is expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels this year by contributing $11.1 trillion to the global economy. The March 6–19 survey by marketing solutions firm Dragon Trail International queried 1,015 mainland Chinese leisure travellers located in 127 places, including first-, second- and third-tier cities.
“We are now past the initial reopening and well into recovery,” says Sienna Parulis-Cook, Dragon Trail’s director of marketing and communications, “and we can see that travellers are much less hesitant about venturing outbound than they were a year ago.”
As of early April, outbound trip bookings for China’s weeklong May holiday lagged 2019 levels by only 13 percent, according to Dragon Trail, and included such places as Egypt and United Arab Emirates. The China Tourism Academy predicted that global Chinese tourist numbers will reach 130 million in 2024 — 84 percent of levels before the pandemic struck. In 2019, some 155 million outbound Chinese travellers spent $253 billion abroad.
ADVERTISEMENT
Destinations that have either waived the visa process for Chinese citizens or are offering electronic visas on arrival include Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Middle East and North Africa. The United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan are predicted to lead the recovery in Chinese tourism, says Alina Xiang, who specialises in China as president and chief executive officer of East West Marketing.
Australia, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, Italy, New Zealand, Turkey, Qatar and Egypt are among the destinations whose flight capacities with China surpass levels before the pandemic, according to data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China that was provided by East West Marketing.
Dragon Trail’s survey shows that of 181 respondents who say they’ve already made overseas travel plans, 94 percent have booked trips to more than one destination. Some 16 percent said they would head to Europe.
Shopping is on the agenda for many. Nearly one-fourth said they will budget from $5,000 to $10,000 for shopping per trip, with 16 percent saying they would spend more. “It’s a really an important part of the Chinese outbound travel experience,” says Parulis-Cook. Retailers have suffered without such high-spending Chinese tourists.
In the first quarter, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE reported, “Chinese demand for fashion and leather goods — at home and abroad — rose almost 10 percent,” a bright spot in an otherwise-underwhelming performance.
The US travel industry is in for a longer wait than other major tourist destinations when it comes to reaping rewards from Chinese travel. Amid delays in visa issuance, first-quarter flights between the US and China remained 78.8 percent below those in the same period in 2019, according to data provided by aviation analytics firm Cirium. This contrasts with a near rebound for flights between the US and the rest of Asia, just 4 percent below pre-pandemic levels.
Still, Chinese travellers’ poor perception of the US has changed significantly since the pandemic. In 2021, 87 percent said they considered the US an unsafe tourist destination. In March, only 36% voiced that perception.
By Lebawit Lily Girma
Learn more:
Why Fewer Chinese Are Shopping in Europe’s Fashion Hubs
Post-Covid spend by US tourists in Europe has surged past 2019 levels. Chinese travellers, by contrast, have largely favoured domestic and regional destinations like Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan.
- China : Consumers
© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions
Can H&M and Zara Compete with Chinese Rivals?
With consumers tightening their belts in China, the battle between global fast fashion brands and local high street giants has intensified.
China Uncertainty Clouds Outlook for Luxury Sector
Investors are bracing for a steep slowdown in luxury sales when luxury companies report their first quarter results, reflecting lacklustre Chinese demand.
Why L’Oréal Is Investing in Niche Chinese Fragrance Brands
The French beauty giant’s two latest deals are part of a wider M&A push by global players to capture a larger slice of the China market, targeting buzzy high-end brands that offer products with distinctive Chinese elements.
Subscribe to the BoF Daily Digest
The essential daily round-up of fashion news, analysis, and breaking news alerts.
Our newsletters may include 3rd-party advertising, by subscribing you agree to the Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy .
Our Products
- BoF Insights Opens in new window
Young travellers are reshaping the tourism industry
In-depth involvement, fun ways of travel, and going local are highlighted among the young travellers.
The younger generation are reshaping traditional tourism as they pursue novel travel experiences, according to travel operators.
Travellers aged between 20 and 30 are becoming the new consumption power in the industry as they seek different ways to have fun on holiday, China's leading hospitality and tourism e-commerce platform Putike revealed based on its booking figures.
Traditional criteria such as delicious meals, good accommodation, nice photos and visits to tourist attractions can't satisfy their demand, while in-depth involvement, fun ways of travel, and going local are highlighted, said Chen Jinbo, founder of Putike.
A hospitality and tourism alliance has been established by Putike and leading companies in the industry to meet changing demands.
The industry is introducing AI tools to improve the quality of tour content and efficiency, said Chen.
A desert resort trip is on many young travelers' lists.
The popularity of niche food destinations soared 133 percent recently with the May Day holiday just around the corner, according to travel review website Mafengwo.
Food has become the driving power of the travel market as an increasing number of young people are traveling just to taste local delicacies, bringing large crowds to non-traditional tourist destinations, it said.
During the May Day holiday, Tianshui and Liuzhou top the list of food destinations for their popular malatang, a street food, and luosifen noodle soup, according to Mafengwo.
The "blue tear" natural spectacle presented by vargula hilgendorfii, a marine invertebrate also known as the sea-firefly, has boosted the popularity of destinations such as Pingtan, an island resort in Fujian Province, by 166 percent based on holiday search figures.
The post-2000 generation has become the main force of the tourism market and account for 31 percent of total bookings for the holiday, according to China's global travel service provider Trip.com.
Novel experiences such as a Muay Thai class in Bangkok and a stargazing trip in China's rural areas are favorite choices.
Abroad, more Chinese travelers are hiring local guides to take trips such as desert safari in Dubai, park strolls in Osaka and a food market visit in Kuala Lumpur, Trip.com said.
Shine Bright with Arina
Double Five Shopping Festival
Shanghai Select
Building an Innovation Hub
Shanghai Expression
- Art & Culture
- Entertainment
- iDEALShanghai
沪公网安备 31010602001940号
Copyright 2019 © Shanghai Daily All Rights Reserved.
Scan to follow SHINE's official Wechat account.
Thank you for subscription (5s)
- Shanghai Daily PDF / Subscribe
- Shanghai Daily Archive
- APP Download
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
IMAGES
COMMENTS
Travel and tourism industry's share of GDP in China from 2014 to 2022 with a forecast for 2023, by direct and total contribution Basic Statistic Number of travel and tourism jobs in China 2019-2033
By Chinese new year, China was past its infection peak—and domestic tourism recovered strongly. For instance, Hainan drew 6.4 million visitors over Chinese New Year (up from 5.8 million in 2019) and visits to Shanghai reached 10 million (roughly double 2019 holiday figures). 4 China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Overall, revenue per available room (RevPAR) during this period recovered ...
History Tourists inside the Forbidden City, Beijing. The first Chinese-operated travel agency, in China was founded by banker Chen Guangfu in 1923.: 89 Tourism began emerging as part of bourgeois lifestyle and a nascent industry during China's nationalist era.: 91 After the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, tourism was not a contributing sector of the company's economy due to the ...
China's tourism industry has evolved dramatically through the fusion of technology and changing consumer demands. In 2023, the landscape is marked by a growing emphasis on tech-enhanced experiences that cater to modern travelers' evolving preferences that foreign businesses and investors in the sector can learn from.
Outlook for China tourism in 2022: Trends to watch in uncertain times. When it comes to travel sentiment, desire for travel has spiked and dipped as COVID-19 outbreaks continue. Previous McKinsey research indicated that the resurgence of domestic travel would support China's travel industry recovery. 2 But, with recent sporadic outbreaks ...
Now, confidence in post-pandemic tourism recovery is growing. Chinese travelers are still yearning to travel—and with domestic and international reopening policies in place, tourism's recovery is on the horizon. 2 Steve Saxon, Chen Wei, and Yu Zijian, "Out of the haze, China's tourism market begins to recover," McKinsey, December 30, 2022. In a new report, The path toward eco-friendly ...
China 23:05, 30-Dec-2023. CGTN. China's tourism industry almost brought 2023 revenue back to its pre-pandemic level, as recovery was largely driven by pent-up domestic demand after the removal of cross-city travel restrictions in January 8 and the accelerated integration of "culture, sports, and tourism."
In particular, "parent-child tourism" has gained momentum throughout 2021 and 2022, along with the steady revival of the national tourism industry. The 2022 Summer Travel Market Trend Report released by Ctrip (one of China's leading travel companies) showed that family travel packages have reached a peak in the 2022 summer booking spree.
3.1. Domestic Tourism boom - As said earlier, the tourism sector in China quickly shifted to its domestic market to save the industry and its numerous stakeholders. In this sense, there were several noteworthy trends: 3.1.1. Staycation is a New Vacation - Obviously, when COVID-19 hit in 2020, hotels,
The return of China's travelers has long been awaited in the travel industry, which is expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels this year by contributing $11.1 trillion to the global economy. The ...
The data reached an all-time high of 154,632.500 Person-Time th in 2019 and a record low of 107,275.500 Person-Time th in 2014. CN: Outbound Tourist data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The data is categorized under China Premium Database's Tourism Sector - Table CN.QAA: Tourism Industry ...
China's tourism industry seems to have adapted to the current situation of regular epidemic prevention and control, with growing market demand and more innovative business models and growth points. In 2020, the international tourism industry was battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, witnessing a sharp decrease of 73 percent in the number of ...
Speaking at a press conference that reflects on China over the last decade, Rao Quan, vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said, "Over the past ten years, the cultural industry and tourism industry have flourished." "The role of the cultural empowerment and tourism drive has fully emerged, and the influence of Chinese culture ...
Over the last decade, the rapid development of Chinese outbound tourism has drawn increasing attention and interest from both academia and the industry. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, China was placed fourth in terms of international visitors. In 2019, there were 83 million visitors, not including mainland Chinese visiting Hong Kong and Macao ...
China's tourism industry is a major contributor to China's Gross Domestic Production (GDP) for more than 20 years. The tourism revenue of china was 5.73 Trillion CNY in the year 2019, and the forecasted tourism sector GDP share by 2025 is 10.93% (Ma et al., Citation 2020 ).
China sets out 5-year path for tourism. The State Council, in a circular on Jan 20, announced a development plan for the tourism sector during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). By 2025, China will have a stronger modern system for the tourism sector integrating cultural development and boasting an improved barrier-free environment and ...
1.1. An overview on tourism industry in China. The importance of China's tourism for the economic growth of the country is witnessed by the internal and international debate and the empirical analyses that are being performed on the role and the activity of all the operators that revolve around the production of tourist services and on the domestic, inbound and outbound demand of them.
Tourists watch birds at Laohutan scenic area in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, April 16, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The tourism sector will continue to grow in the first half of this year ...
support China's travel industry recovery.² But, with recent sporadic outbreaks, confidence in domestic travel has been affected. For instance, in October ... Outlook for China tourism in 2022: Trends to watch in uncertain times 3. Exhibit 3 Due to the outbreak after the national holiday, tourists turned cautious compared to ...
The adaption of the open-up reform policies in China some three decades ago has resulted in a rapid economic transformation of which the tourism sector has equally witnessed fast development. Therefore, the essence of this article is to review the evolution and expansion of the tourism industry in China and its obligation to observing international sustainable development policies and ...
April 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. travel sector will have to wait at least two more years for lucrative Chinese tourism to recover to pre-pandemic levels as slow growth and high costs in the Asian ...
Contribution of China's travel and tourism industry to GDP 2014-2023. Published by Agne Blazyte , Jan 30, 2024. In 2022, the total contribution of the travel and tourism industry accounted for ...
Data from China's National Immigration Administration showed 141 million total exits and entries in the first quarter of 2024. Foreign nationals accounted for 13 million of those, roughly a ...
Eighteen key cultural tourism projects signed at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Shandong High-Quality Cultural and Tourism Industry Development Conference on April 26. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn ...
Interestingly, it is found that the tourism industry in China is increased with an average annual growth rate of approximately 21.57% from 2010 to 2016 (National Tourism Administration of the People's Republic of China, Citation 2017). The reason for such an increase may be the subsiding air fair prices and the progress of the middle class.
The travel and tourism industry contributed 10.94 trillion yuan (US$1.6 trillion) to China's gross domestic product in 2019 - about 11 per cent of the total
According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the tourism revenue during the holiday reached 37.15 billion yuan (about $5.75 billion), recovering to 78.2 percent of that in 2019. China's ...
The return of China's travellers has long been awaited in the travel industry, which is expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels this year by contributing $11.1 trillion to the global economy. ... The China Tourism Academy predicted that global Chinese tourist numbers will reach 130 million in 2024 — 84 percent of levels before the pandemic ...
The younger generation are reshaping traditional tourism as they pursue novel travel experiences, according to travel operators. Travellers aged between 20 and 30 are becoming the new consumption power in the industry as they seek different ways to have fun on holiday, China's leading hospitality and tourism e-commerce platform Putike revealed based on its booking figures.
Forests drive tourism growth in China, offering ecologic and economic benefits over urbanization trends. Wellness tourism, aligned with UN goals, thrives in forest settings, though challenges remain, particularly in the underinvested forest regions of Western China. This study aims to identify and rank the forest wellness tourism industry development strategies for Chongqing Tea Mountain and ...