China’s Silver Travelers: Insights for New Zealand

Photo: Tourism New Zealand

At the start of March 2026, Tourism New Zealand kicked off a new campaign for the Chinese market, specifically targeting the “silver travel market”, or travelers aged 50+. The campaign is guided by research on China’s silver travel market conducted by Dragon Trail International on behalf of Tourism New Zealand, and it engages Chinese consumers and the travel trade through an ongoing photography and video competition, among other outreach activities.

China’s silver travelers’ market potential

China’s senior demographic is rapidly expanding, driving growth in the silver travel market. This market doesn’t just offer strong growth potential, but also significant spending power, longer stays, and off-season travel that makes tourism a more sustainable industry with greater benefits to destination communities.

By the end of 2025, China’s population aged 60 and above reached 323.38 million, accounting for 23.0% of the national population. Among them, those aged 65 and above numbered 223.65 million, representing 15.9% of the total population.

According to United Nations projections, China’s population aged 65 and above will increase by 116% between 2020 and 2050. In 2023, travelers aged 60 and above accounted for 1.16 billion domestic trips, representing 20.6% of the domestic tourism market and emerging as a significant travel segment.

By 2028, China’s silver tourism market is projected to reach approximately RMB2.7 trillion, demonstrating robust growth momentum.

With abundant time and money to travel, the silver segment is especially essential for long-haul destinations, and it is important to understand and cater to the travel habits and needs of this demographic.

Tongcheng Travel: Silver Travel Report 2025

Data from Chinese OTA platform Tongcheng Travel shows that between January and September 2025, the average accommodation expenditure of senior users aged 60 and above was 30% higher than that of the youth demographic.

Silver travelers are also the core consumer segment for high-end travel products such as luxury cruises, polar expeditions, and long-haul outbound travel. Tongcheng data revealed that between January and September 2025, silver travelers aged 50 to 70 accounted for over 70% of outbound luxury cruise travelers. Among polar cruise customers with per-person spending exceeding RMB100,000, the proportion surpassed 90%.

Silver travelers demonstrate strong spending power on premium experiences such as customized tours, with an average single-trip expenditure exceeding RMB12,000 – 25% higher than other age groups.

Dragon Trail Research x Tourism New Zealand: Silver traveler focus group

In January 2026, Dragon Trail Research and Tourism New Zealand met with a group of 34 Chinese silver travelers in Shanghai, recruited in cooperation with Dongli Retirement Club, the largest organization in Shanghai specializing in serving middle-aged and elderly consumers. We used this offline session to conduct a survey of 10 questions about travel habits and preferences, as well as experience and expectations about travel to New Zealand.

Most (88%) of the survey respondents were aged between 60-69, with more than half having visited New Zealand in the past. All of the survey respondents said they took at least one long-haul outbound trip each year, on average. Apart from New Zealand, their post-pandemic trips have primarily been to Southeast Asia, Australia, Western Europe, and North America.

When joining a tour group for outbound travel, survey respondents said they were most interested in enjoying natural scenery (100%), tasting local cuisine (93%), and experiencing local history and culture (80%). The unique and pristine natural beauty is also the primary reason New Zealand attracted the respondents who have visited it and the aspect that left the deepest impression on them.

When Chinese silver travelers are choosing overseas destinations, a reasonable itinerary, suitable climate, destination appeal, and safety are the four most critical factors. This complements findings from Dragon Trail International’s January 2025 Chinese Outbound Travel Trade Survey, where travel agents selling outbound travel for silver customers recommended making more efforts to enhance safety and travel comfort when working with elderly tourists, including providing health care service, incorporating wellness activities, and arranging a slower itinerary pace.

Chinese silver consumers are also digitally active. As of June 2025, China had 161 million silver netizens aged 60 and above, equivalent to one in every two seniors embracing digital life.

Our offline survey showed that offline and online channels were equally important for Chinese silver travelers, with travel agency stores, word-of-mouth from friends and family, WeChat, and travel platforms such as Ctrip being the most influential channels. Notably, WeChat and WeChat Channels were much more influential within this older demographic than newer and trendier platforms like RedNote and Douyin.

Campaign: “Set off now for pristine New Zealand”

Officially launched on 5 March 2026, Tourism New Zealand’s newest marketing campaign for China is designed specifically for Chinese silver travelers, speaking directly to their interests – wellness, nature, comfort, and immersive experiences – using familiar platforms, trusted voices, and inspiring stories that resonate with Chinese travelers and their families.

Tourism New Zealand shared the research findings with the Chinese travel trade in Shanghai at the launch event for the tourism board’s 2026 silver traveler campaign

At the launch event in Shanghai, and through digital travel trade channels, Tourism New Zealand has called on travel trade partners to collaborate in the campaign and co-create innovative, high quality travel products designed for Chinese silver travelers. Through the end of May, senior travelers who book a trip to New Zealand through the tourism board’s partner travel agencies will also have the chance to receive a surprise gift from Tourism New Zealand.

As a key part of the campaign, Tourism New Zealand has launched a photo and video competition, aimed at a target audience of tourism professional and travel enthusiasts aged 50+. Through 10 June, participants can upload their own New Zealand travel photos or videos through Tourism New Zealand’s WeChat mini-program. These visual resources should present New Zealand’s natural landscapes, cultural features, wildlife, and food and wine through unique composition, perspective, or narrative, and clearly include Chinese tourists aged 50 and above. Prizes include handheld cameras, power banks, and more, with all selected winners receiving a certificate from Tourism New Zealand to recognize their work.

Dragon Trail’s research services include bespoke consumer and trade surveys, focus groups, digital audits, white papers, and more. Please click here or contact us for more information on how we can help you get the information you need on China’s travel market.