Chinese tourist destinations in 2025 and reasons behind their choices
While Southeast Asia, with Singapore (17%) and Malaysia (12%), remains the dominant region for Chinese outbound travel, the report reveals an emerging preference for long-haul destinations. Europe (10%) has climbed to fifth place among the most preferred destinations, overtaking Thailand, which fell from fourth place in Q4 2024 to seventh place in Q1 2025.
This trend towards destinations further afield reflects a growing desire among Chinese travellers for cultural and authentic experiences. In addition, travel planning has become more spontaneous, with 76% of Chinese travellers booking their trips less than one month in advance, up from 73% in Q3 2024 and 74% in Q4 2024. This shift reflects a desire for flexibility, particularly among younger and affluent travellers.
Rising demand for luxury travel, led by consumers in upscale cities
Consumers in China's upscale cities are leading demand for luxury travel, prioritising premium and personalised experiences. Luxury spending remains strong among travellers from these cities, with a focus on luxury shopping, fine dining and experiential travel experiences. Top travel expenditures include accommodation (19%), airfare (17%) and food (16%).
Digital platforms and social media play a crucial role in shaping travel decisions, with Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) and Douyin as the top travel discovery platforms. User-generated content and influencer marketing are key to influencing destination and activity choices, especially among younger travellers.
Growing importance of shopping and price transparency
Shopping remains an integral part of the travel experience for Chinese tourists. Seventy-nine percent of Chinese travellers research purchases before arriving at their destination, indicating a strong preference for planned shopping experiences. Beauty and skincare products dominate duty-free shopping, followed by luxury fashion, watches and fine wines. In addition, 98% of travellers compare duty-free prices online before making a purchase, making price transparency and online visibility essential for brands.
Social media promotions significantly influence purchase decisions at the airport, with 61% of travellers likely to buy duty-free products after seeing a promotion on platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Douyin. Price promotions and free gifts (36%), followed by tastings and samples (27%), are the strongest incentives for airport engagement.
The Chinese outbound tourism landscape in 2025 is marked by increased spontaneity in travel planning, a strong influence of digital platforms and a focus on luxury experiences. Luxury brands, duty-free shops and global travel retailers must adapt to this digitally-driven, high-spending Chinese traveller, whose preferences have evolved since 2019. Companies that invest in omni-channel experiences, short-form content marketing and seamless payment integration will benefit the most from the travel retail boom in 2025.
