ITB China’s latest Travel Trends Report (TTR) shows an accelerated rebound in the country’s outbound travel market this year.

While recovery in the travel sector remains uneven, eased visa policies and flight capacity more or less returning to normal are encouraging Chinese citizens to travel.

ITB China notes based on its recent Buyer Survey that 75 percent of market players remain positive about their outbound business. Most believe that they will reach or even exceed levels seen back in 2019.

China Tourism Association executive vice-president Sun Bo remarked: “After a steady recovery last year, China’s outbound and inbound travel market is poised for rapid growth.”

Based on a large-scale survey conducted by ITB China, the latest TTR  features over 1,000 buyer representatives from the ITB China Buyer Circle.

Additionally, a series of executive interviews were conducted with associations, leading travel agencies, top industry newcomers, corporate buyers and MICE buyers.

Other findings

The study also noted a change in the profile of the average Chinese traveller, findings bolstered by data from the Trip.com Group.

Millennials and Gen Z travellers now outnumber older generations, making up 40 percent of the outbound travel market compared to Gen X which accounted for 29 percent.

The younger generations’ financial independence and sense of adventure helped drive the surge in outbound travel demand.

More meaningful experiences are also what Chinese travellers seek on their journeys. Many respondents in the study sought trips that inspire and rejuvenate them. This, in turn, gave rise to smaller tour groups, self-guided tours, and customised trips. 

City sightseeing and walking tours ranked highest among the top travel options, followed by family holidays. Cultural and study tours, island holidays, and gourmet tours ranked highest among experiential travel options.