China seems well on its way to becoming the world’s leading economy in the Travel & Tourism (T&T) sector, according to the latest trends and provided it maintains its strong momentum.
New data from the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2026 Economic Impact Research (EIR) report highlights China as a standout performer in the Asia-Pacific region. The report emphasises the potential impact of China’s policies, innovation, and long-term investment in infrastructure on future tourism.
In 2025, China received 68 million international visitors, marking a 15.5% increase from the previous year and nearly tripling the global growth rate of 5.4%. This was the largest global increase, with 9 million more arrivals than in 2024.
🇨🇳 China is setting the pace for global Travel & Tourism growth.
— WTTC (@WTTC) June 4, 2026
By 2036, China’s Travel & Tourism sector is projected to nearly double in value to US$3.5 trillion, generating 1 in every 5 new Travel & Tourism jobs worldwide.
The momentum is already clear:
🔹 68M+…
The country has come a long way. After years of strict restrictions and closed borders due to the pandemic, which brought international tourism almost to a standstill, China only fully reopened to foreign travellers in 2023. Since then, it has been catching up fast.
This strong performance is already having a significant impact, with China’s wider tourism and travel (T&T) sector expanding by 9.9% in 2025 to reach $1.8 trillion – more than double the global average growth rate of 4.1%. China is also playing a central role in making the Asia-Pacific region the world’s fastest-growing T&T area, with growth of 8.1%.
This surge would not have been possible without significant government intervention. In recent years, China has invested heavily in infrastructure, including high-speed rail, improved air connections and roads reaching some of the country’s most remote areas. Beijing has also invested heavily in new tourism developments, such as new tourism zones, cultural attractions, and theme parks. The government has also developed new tourism experiences, including cycling routes and hiking trails, to encourage travellers to explore beyond the country’s traditional hotspots.
Additionally, the government has adapted and reformed policies to encourage this growth, viewing tourism as a key pillar of the country’s economic development.
Its efforts are paying off.
Its push goes from visa easing, with up to 30-day visa-free stays and extended transit stays of 10 days, to an enhanced experience in the country, starting at the airport with biometric systems and advanced digital payment platforms, reducing lengthy procedures and possible payment friction.
“These efforts highlight the importance of innovation and digitalisation as core enablers of tourism growth,” the WTTC noted, adding that investment in air connectivity, high-speed rail infrastructure, new tourism zones, cultural attractions and theme parks is strengthening China’s tourism offering and global competitiveness.
Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of WTTC, praised these developments, stating that 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 economy if they continue with this path,” she added.
According to the WTTC report, China’s performance places the country firmly on track to become the world’s leading travel and tourism economy in the coming years, provided that current trends continue.
China is also expected to reclaim its position as the world’s largest outbound travel market, with spending forecast to surge by 22.5% to almost $280 billion by 2026, surpassing the US.
China is also a major player in the business travel sector, ranking second worldwide after the US with $192 billion in spending.
@WTTC President & CEO Gloria Guevara (@GGuevaraM) was honoured to deliver the opening remarks at the WTCF Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2026 alongside H.E. Gao Zheng, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China, and H.E. Yin Yong, Mayor of… pic.twitter.com/ENTfzwTjLx
— WTTC (@WTTC) June 3, 2026
The sector is expected to almost double by 2036, with China forecast to generate one in five new tourism jobs worldwide. In 2025, T&T supported 84.6 million jobs in the country, a figure expected to exceed 103 million within ten years.
