2024 China Tourism Facts & Figures

In 2024, China's tourism market made a really significant comeback. People were spending more on travel, and the growth in travel expenditure was even faster than the increase in the number of tourists.  

During the first three quarters of 2024, inbound arrivals to China numbered 94.6283 million, achieving a recovery rate of over 90% compared with 2019 level.

In the same period, the number of outbound tourists from China surged to nearly 95 million. This represented a year-on-year growth of 52% and a recovery to 82% of the 2019 volume.

Regarding domestic tourism, in the first three quarters of 2024, the number of domestic tourists hit 4.237 billion. This represents an increase of 563 million over the same period of the previous year, with a year-on-year growth rate of 15.3%.
 Since the end of 2023, China's visa-free policies have really given a huge boost to the inbound tourism market. According to the latest data from the China National Immigration Administration, in the first three quarters of 2024, the number of inbound tourists reached 94.6283 million, surging by 78.8% year-on-year.

In addition to the number of inbound tourists, tourism spending in China and the satisfaction rate of foreign tourists have also been steadily on the rise. The satisfaction index in the first and second quarters of 2024 was 81.7 and 82.9, respectively, both exceeding the historical average.

The data shows that some inbound travel agencies have welcomed a tourist volume equivalent to 60% to 70% of that recorded during the corresponding period in 2019. Also, the inbound tourism arrivals from neighboring countries such as Japan, South Korea, and those in Southeast Asia got a swifter recovery.

In 2024, “China Travel” became a trending search term, with the number of related views on the social media exceeding 1 billion. This is attributed to China's continuous introduction of 18 measures to facilitate foreigners’ entry, such as the 240-hour visa-free transit policy and the visa-free entry for foreign tour groups traveling by cruise ships.

In terms of the choice of inbound tourism destinations, Shanghai is the most popular destination among inbound tourists. In 2024, 4.56 million foreigners entered Shanghai, of which 1.67 million entered with a visa-free entry, which is 4.7 times the number for the whole year of 2023.
 In 2024, China's outbound tourism market achieved a full-fledged recovery. During the first three quarters, the number of outbound tourists neared 95 million, registering a 52% year-on-year increase and rebounding to 82% of the 2019 figure.

The recovery of China's outbound tourism market started with nearby country destinations. The number of Chinese tourists flocking to Southeast Asia was on par with that of 2019. Owing to the visa-free policy, the UAE managed to draw in more independent Chinese travelers. Additionally, the European market experienced a gradual revival, with the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Italy, the United Kingdom, and Spain approaching that of the same period in 2019.
 - Tourists born in the 1990s and 2000s accounted for over half of the outbound travel cohort. In addition, young individuals are playing an increasingly crucial role in influencing family decisions regarding outbound travel.
- The prevalence of long-term outbound travel has waned. In 2024, the number of long-term outbound tourists dropped by around 10%. Conversely, outbound tourism consumption has been on a steady upward trajectory. Compared to 2023, tourism-related consumption that remained stable or increased by within 30% accounted for 30.19% and 36.86% respectively. 
- “Safety” has ascended to the top of outbound tourists’ concerns. It has become the overriding factor when they were making choices about hotels and taxi platforms.

The rejuvenation of the outbound tourism market can be ascribed to the impetus of multiple factors. On one hand, the visa-free policy has made overseas travel easier. On the other hand, with the progressive resumption of international flights and the rational adjustment of tourism product prices, an ever-growing number of Chinese are commencing to plan their outbound travel schedules, eager to explore the world beyond.
 In Q1 - Q3 of 2024, China's domestic tourism market sustained steady growth. The number of domestic tourists reached 4.237 billion, marking an increase of 563 million compared to the same period last year, with a year-on-year growth of 15.3%. Meanwhile, the total travel expenditure of domestic tourists amounted to CNY 4.35 trillion, growing by CNY 660 billion from the previous year, representing a 17.9% year-on-year increase.

The recovery of the domestic tourism market is attributed to several factors. On one hand, the Chinese government has implemented a series of policies to boost tourism consumption, such as discounted activities by tourist attractions and infrastructure construction for tourism. These measures have effectively stimulated people's enthusiasm for traveling. On the other hand, as Chinese people's consumption concepts change, more and more people are willing to invest more time and money in traveling.
 

	May Day	National Day
Trips	295 million	765 million
Year-on-Year Growth	7.6%	5.9%
Increasing Rate over 2019	28.2%	10.2%
Tourism Revenue (CNY)	166.89 billion	700.817 billion
Year-on-Year Growth	12.7%	6.3%
Increasing Rate over 2019	13.5%	7.9%

See China Tourism Facts & Figures by Year: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007