What luxury brands need to know about Chinese tourism in 2024

China's outbound tourism sector is showing signs of a robust rebound, growth that could reshape global travel

As destinations worldwide, from the US to Saudi Arabia, ramp up efforts to attract Chinese tourists, China's outbound tourism sector is showing signs of a robust rebound, a development that could transform the global travel landscape. A recent report by marketing agency China Trading Desk highlights this trend, revealing an elevenfold increase in Chinese tourists venturing abroad in 2023, with a notable surge of interest in destinations like South Korea, and a waning enthusiasm for the US.

Key takeaways

• Last year, just 439,000 Chinese tourists visited the US, down from more than 4.4 million pre-pandemic;
• China Trading Desk expects the number of Chinese tourists to the US will exceed 1.3 million in 2024, a threefold rise over 2023 levels, but still 70% below 2019’s figures;
• The agency attributed Chinese tourists’ muted interest in the US to the increasingly negative image of the country in the Chinese press and on social media;
• The growth areas of China’s outbound tourism market are perhaps the most interesting. In particular, the increasing spending power of millennial and Gen Z tourists is changing the top destinations for Chinese tourists, influenced by social media trends and the desire for unique experiences, this younger cohort prefers countries like South Korea over the likes of the US.

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