China’s Travel & Tourism Sector on the Rise
You can also find out more about the following: World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) recently released its latest Economic Impact Research (EIR), which shows that China is emerging as one of the world’s most dynamic Travel & Tourism markets. This indicates a substantial bounce-back, and a promising growth trajectory over the long term.
Record-breaking forecasts for 2025
By 2025, China’s Travel & Tourism sector is expected to contribute a record ¥13.7TN to the national economy, which is 10.3% higher than pre-pandemic levels. The sector is expected to create more than 83,000,000 jobs by 2025, and 1.3 million of those jobs will be created in this year alone. This sector, despite having nearly 1,000,000 jobs less than its pre-pandemic peak, is closing the gap rapidly.
Furthermore, international visitor spending is projected to increase by nearly ¥33BN, 13% above 2019. Domestic spending is also expected to grow by over ¥1.1TN, reaching ¥7TN, further reinforcing China’s position as a global Travel & Tourism leader.
Reflecting on Achievements in 2024
In 2024, the sector contributed almost ¥12TN to China’s economy, a 23% increase from the previous year, and supported over 82 million jobs. After one of the world’s longest border closures, international visitor spending in China surged to a record ¥1TN, a 66% year-on-year increase and almost 10% above 2019 levels.
Domestic travel, which accounted for over 85% of all tourism spending, reached ¥5.9TN. China’s domestic tourism market, with a population of over 1.4 billion people, is driving the global recovery despite economic uncertainty.
2035 Vision
By 2035, the WTTC forecasts that China’s Travel & Tourism sector will contribute over ¥27TN to the economy and grow at twice the rate of the overall economy at 7%. This sector will support more than 100 millions jobs over the next 10 years, with nearly 20,000,000 new positions.
Domestic visitor spending is projected to reach just under ¥14TN, while international visitor spending is expected to rise to ¥1.5TN. These projections are a reflection of the country’s increased global connectivity and appeal.
