China’s travel market shifts toward premium demand in 2026

Rising confidence and high-value travelers reshape outbound and domestic travel patterns

China’s travel market is entering 2026 with renewed momentum, driven by stronger consumer confidence and a clear shift in traveler priorities. Data from 2025 shows simultaneous growth in travel volume, spending, and per-capita expenditure, indicating a higher willingness to pay for meaningful experiences. Travelers are moving away from price-led decisions toward emotional satisfaction, personalization, and depth of experience. As outbound travel continues to recover, high-income segments are increasingly shaping demand, particularly for premium and customized travel.

Key takeaways

• Stronger holiday spending confidence: Major public holidays in 2025 saw increases in trips, total spending, and per-capita expenditure, with many travelers exceeding planned budgets in pursuit of better experiences.
• Shift from price to personal fulfillment: Destination choice is increasingly driven by emotional value, crowd avoidance, and self-fulfillment, rather than “value for money” considerations.
• Preference for depth over breadth: More than half of travelers now favor in-depth exploration of a single destination, reducing interest in fast-paced, multi-stop itineraries.
• High-value travelers drive outbound growth: Outbound travel is increasingly led by affluent consumers who view international travel as a recurring lifestyle activity rather than an occasional luxury.
• Short-haul stability, long-haul diversification: While short-haul outbound travel remains concentrated in nearby Asian destinations, long-haul travel is diversifying across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and nature-focused regions.
• Independent travel becomes the norm: Independent travel is now the most popular travel style across all age groups, reflecting greater confidence and experience among travelers.
• Premium customization gains traction: High-end, customized travel is the second-most preferred mode among ultra-high-income travelers, who are willing to pay a premium for privacy, personalization, and seamless end-to-end experiences.

Source: China Travel News

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