China Leisure Travel Market

China Leisure Travel Market Overview:

The China leisure travel market size reached USD 3,925.21 Million in 2024. Looking forward, the market is projected to reach USD 7,060.05 Million by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 6.74% during 2025-2033. The market is driven by expanding middle-class spending, which underpins strong domestic tourism across cultural, natural, and urban destinations. Digital ecosystems and short-video platforms transform discovery and booking, supporting experience-driven demand and diversified leisure offerings. Policy frameworks encourage rural revitalization and sustainable travel, while outbound flows adjust toward Asia and the Middle East under shifting geopolitical conditions. Eco-tourism, wellness, and immersive experiences gain traction, reflecting long-term consumer preferences. Together, these factors create a resilient and innovative sector, further augmenting the China leisure travel market share.

China Leisure Travel Market Trends:

Rising Middle-Class Demand and Domestic Tourism Expansion

China’s leisure travel sector is primarily driven by the expanding middle class, which possesses greater disposable income and prioritizes leisure as an essential component of lifestyle. This demographic shift fuels steady demand for domestic travel, with families, young professionals, and retirees increasingly exploring cultural, historical, and natural attractions across the country. Domestic leisure travel surged in 2024 with 5.615 billion domestic trips, a 14.8% increase from 2023. Domestic traveler spending increased 17.1% to over 5.75 Trillion Yuan (about USD 790 Billion). Major destinations such as Hainan, Yunnan, and Sichuan attract growing footfall, while urban centers like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou continue to anchor cultural and entertainment tourism. Government investment in high-speed rail networks and domestic aviation connectivity ensures accessibility to secondary and tertiary destinations, promoting equitable tourism growth beyond traditional hubs. Seasonal preferences, from winter sports in northern regions to summer coastal retreats, drive year-round activity. Tourism-linked retail, dining, and entertainment ecosystems expand alongside, reinforcing travel as a central pillar of household consumption. This strong foundation of domestic demand provides structural resilience, ensuring sustained momentum for the China leisure travel market growth.

Policy Support, Outbound Tourism Shifts and Sustainability Focus

Government policies continue to shape the trajectory of China’s leisure travel market, with initiatives promoting domestic tourism, rural revitalization, and infrastructure upgrades. Subsidies for cultural events, village homestays, and green tourism projects integrate local economies into the national travel framework. Outbound tourism, traditionally dominated by flows to Asia-Pacific and Europe, is adjusting under new geopolitical realities and evolving visa requirements, redirecting demand toward Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and domestically developed alternatives. China's inbound arrivals in the first three quarters of 2024 totaled over 94.628 million, recovering to more than 90% of 2019's levels. Outbound Chinese tourists approached 95 million trips, reaching 82% of 2019 numbers, with a 52% year-on-year increase. Sustainability has also emerged as a defining force, with travelers increasingly favoring eco-certified hotels, low-carbon transport, and nature-focused destinations. Operators are responding by incorporating renewable energy, waste reduction, and community-driven models into their offerings. Rising labor and operating costs create challenges yet encourage innovation in efficiency and service quality. This combination of policy backing, shifting outbound flows, and sustainability-driven consumption ensures the continued evolution and resilience of China’s leisure travel sector across domestic and international domains.

China Leisure Travel Market Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the market, along with forecasts at the country and regional levels for 2025-2033. Our report has categorized the market based on traveler type, age group, expenditure type, and sales channel.

Traveler Type Insights:

• Solo
• Group

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the traveler type. This includes solo and group.

Age Group Insights:

• Baby Boomers
• Generation X
• Millennial
• Generation Z

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the age group. This includes baby boomers, generation X, millennial, and generation Z.

Expenditure Type Insights:

• Lodging
• Transportation
• Food and Beverages
• Events and Entertainment
• Others

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the expenditure type. This includes lodging, transportation, food and beverages, events and entertainment, and others.

Sales Channel Insights:

• Conventional Channel
• Online Channel

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the sales channel. This includes conventional channel and online channel.

Regional Insights:

• North China
• East China
• South Central China
• Southwest China
• Northwest China
• Northeast China

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of all major regional markets. This includes North China, East China, South Central China, Southwest China, Northwest China, and Northeast China.

Competitive Landscape:

The market research report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape. Competitive analysis such as market structure, key player positioning, top winning strategies, competitive dashboard, and company evaluation quadrant has been covered in the report. Also, detailed profiles of all major companies have been provided.

China Leisure Travel Market News:

• In September 2024, Tuniu Corporation, a leading online leisure travel company in China, announced a strategic cooperation with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) following the signing of a Letter of Intent in Bangkok. The agreement focuses on joint promotion and communication efforts to provide diversified travel products and enhance the overall experience of Chinese leisure travelers in Thailand.

China Leisure Travel Market Report Coverage:

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

• How has the China leisure travel market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
• What is the breakup of the China leisure travel market on the basis of traveler type?
• What is the breakup of the China leisure travel market on the basis of age group?
• What is the breakup of the China leisure travel market on the basis of expenditure type?
• What is the breakup of the China leisure travel market on the basis of sales channel?
•  What is the breakup of the China leisure travel market on the basis of region?
• What are the various stages in the value chain of the China leisure travel market? 
• What are the key driving factors and challenges in the China leisure travel market?
• What is the structure of the China leisure travel market and who are the key players?
• What is the degree of competition in the China leisure travel market? 

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

• IMARC’s industry report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the China leisure travel market from 2019-2033.
• The research report provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the China leisure travel market.
• Porter's five forces analysis assist stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the China leisure travel industry and its attractiveness.
• Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.