China is posed to become the modern-world superpower in every aspect.
From infrastructure, maritime, governance, to manufacturing and technology, China is gaining foothold in every industry. The Asian giant is also on track to become the world’s leading travel & tourism (T&T) economy in the coming years, that is if current trends continue.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) stated that China is emerging as the standout performer in Asia-Pacific. It is a leading example for how to coordinated policy, innovation, and long-term investment in infrastructure can drive high-impact tourism growth at scale.
China welcomed over 68 million international visitors in 2025, marking a 15.5 percent year-on-year increase, nearly three times the global growth rate of 5.4 percent, while international visitor spending rose by 10.5 percent to $135 billion, exceeding pre-pandemic levels and significantly outperforming the global average growth of 3.2 percent.
The country recorded an additional nine million arrivals compared to 2024, representing the largest increase globally. China’s wider T&T sector continues to outperform regionally, expanding by 9.9 percent in 2025 to reach $1.8 trillion, more than double the global growth average of 4.1 percent.
Beijing is also playing a central role in propelling Asia-Pacific to become the fastest-growing T&T region in the world, achieving 8.1 percent growth. This is being driven by a combination of progressive policy reforms and technological innovation, supported by the strong strategic vision of the Government of China in positioning Travel & Tourism as a key pillar of national economic growth.
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Positive Reforms
WTTC highlighted that expanded visa facilitation measures now cover more than 50 countries, offering visa-free stays of up to 30 days and extended transit stays of up to 10 days. Since 2020, arrivals from visa-exempt markets have increased fivefold, including an additional 18 percent growth in 2025 alone.
Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of WTTC, said China’s recovery shows how targeted policy reforms can translate directly into stronger inbound demand and sustained growth. “Continued progress in visa facilitation will be essential to sustaining this momentum. This approach, over time, could position China to become the world’s leading Travel & Tourism if they continue with this path.”
Moreover, China is enhancing the visitor experience through seamless travel initiatives, including the rollout of biometric systems at entry points and the widespread adoption of advanced digital payment platforms, enabling a smoother end-to-end journey for international travellers.
These efforts highlight the importance of innovation and digitalisation as core enablers of tourism growth. In addition, investment in air connectivity and high-speed rail infrastructure is further strengthening accessibility, improving connections between major international gateways and secondary cities, supporting a more balanced distribution of tourism flows across the country.
Furthermore, large-scale development of new tourism zones, cultural attractions, and theme parks is diversifying China’s tourism offering and reinforcing its global competitiveness, underscoring the sector’s growing role as a driver of economic diversification, regional development, and job creation.
The country is set to reclaim its position as the world’s largest outbound travel market, with spending forecast to surge by 22.5 percent to nearly $280 billion in 2026, surpassing the United States.
