2025’s Summer Trends for Chinese Outbound Travel

The Chinese outbound travel market continues to grow this summer, according to the country’s leading travel agencies. For example, Ctrip reported a 20% increase in searches for hotels overseas, while Fliggy reported that bookings for overseas hotel packages had more than doubled. Shanghai’s Pudong and Hongqiao international airports reportedly anticipate a 7% year-on-year increase in outbound and inbound passengers this summer.

The top outbound destinations include the usual suspects, with Japan and South Korea at the top of nearly every list, as well as Southeast Asian hotspots Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Despite a big drop in the market, Thailand is still on most top 10 destination lists. Some Western European countries also feature on many travel agencies’ top destination list, including the UK, France, and Italy. In the Southern Hemisphere, Australia stands out.

In terms of high-growth destinations, these are quite numerous and include some surprises – for example, more than one travel agency reported particularly high growth for Zambia. Both the Caucasus region and Central Asia continue to stand out, in no small part thanks to visa-free travel. Growth to Europe also seems generally strong, with Norway in particular showing up on a few travel agencies’ lists.

Family travel dominates China’s summer travel market and has shown healthy growth for both the domestic and outbound markets. Tuniu said that more than 40% of its outbound summer travelers were family travelers, while one of China’s biggest traditional travel agencies, CYTS, said that family travelers made up more than 60% of its outbound bookings this summer.

We also see continued growth in the trend towards personalization, with increased demands for customized and private group tours, a greater emphasis on experiences and the emotional value of travel, and travelers seeking more comfortable travel experiences, including smaller groups and more upscale hotels.

Here’s more detailed report data from the different Chinese travel agencies and online platforms:

Fliggy: Bookings for overseas hotel packages increased by 185%. Top destinations: Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, USA, Singapore, Australia, France, UK. Growth of more than 100% for bookings to Zambia, Madagascar, Kazakhstan, Iceland, Armenia, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Nigeria, and Switzerland. (Source)

Mafengwo: Strong growth for Italy, France, UK. (Source)

Utour: Summer travel to Europe increased by 76%, with bookings to Northern Europe and the UK up by 50% and 75%, respectively. Bookings for Middle East and Africa, and South America up by 103% and 178%, respectively. (Source)

Ctrip: Outbound hotel searches up nearly 20% by mid-June, particularly for regional destinations. Top 10 destinations: Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, USA, UK, Indonesia, Macau. Top 10 growth destinations: Egypt, Denmark, Norway, South Korea, Vietnam, Italy, Spain, Russia, Indonesia, Australia. (Source)

Tuniu: Top destinations: Maldives, Japan, Italy, France, Switzerland, Indonesia, Germany, UK, Malaysia, Thailand. Top growth destinations: Belgium, Luxembourg, Zambia, Greece, UAE, Netherlands, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Norway. Family travel accounts for more than 40% of summer travelers. Top outbound destinations for families: Maldives, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Italy, Australia, Turkiye, South Korea. (Source)

CYTS: More than 60% of summer outbound travel is family travel – “Take your kids to see the world”. Travelers are looking for experiences and comfort. Nearly 40% of their summer outbound travelers chose all inclusive, small groups (20-25 people), with hotels rated 4 stars and above. Other trends include exclusive, high-end travel to niche destinations such as the Arctic, off-the-beaten track destinations including small towns and less-visited countries, seeking emotional value through travel, and personalization – including customized and private groups. (Source)