In 2024, the total revenue from tourism in China amounted to roughly 6.4 trillion yuan. 2020, 2021, and 2022 revenues were estimated to be nearly completely generated by domestic tourism, as strict travel restrictions led to a halt in inbound tourism since February 2020. China in the global tourism industry The global tourism industry had contributed around ten billion U.S. dollars annually to the GDP worldwide over the recent years. The term tourism in this context includes travel for recreation, leisure, business or other purposes. As an interlinked industry, tourism has an impact on several other industries such as retail, accommodation, and transportation. In the past few years, China has been the world’s largest travel and tourism economy, with a global market share surpassing the United States. Tourism in China With rising standards of living, the tourism industry in China experienced a substantial growth spur over the last decade. The Chinese tourism industry reported a 11.7 percent increase in revenue to around 5.7 trillion yuan in 2019, right before the COVID-19 pandemic. Being the fourth largest country in the world by land area, China provides a wide range of natural, historical and cultural sites. China’s tourism industry consists of domestic and international tourism. Around 5.6 billion domestic trips were made in 2024. The number of foreign tourists visiting China that year ranged at only around 132 million.The coronavirus pandemic had a strong effect on tourism in China. While only few foreign passengers were allowed to enter the country, the number of domestic travelers has also dropped more than half in 2020 and started slowly increasing again in 2021. In early 2023, after almost three years of closed borders, China finally reopened the country for international travel.

In 2025, the tourism industry generated around 677 billion yuan during the Chinese New Year travel season in China, representing a seven percent increase from around 633 billion yuan compared to the previous year and an even more significant growth from 514 billion yuan during the equivalent period before the coronavirus pandemic. Traveling during Spring Festival in China Thanks to urbanization and modernization, a new trend of “going out to see the world” has emerged among Chinese consumers. The traditional family reunion and celebration of Chinese New Year is no longer restricted to a designated hometown. More and more people choose online booking services, like Trip.com, to arrange a family trip before New Year’s Eve. In 2025, around 500 million Chinese made a domestic trip during the holiday break. Along with a rising individual income, there would be more people opting for a journey during Spring Festival. China’s tourism industry Tourism plays an important role in China’s domestic economy. In 2023, the travel industry in the country generated around 4.9 trillion yuan. Pre-pandemic, China was one of the fastest growing inbound and outbound travel markets in the world. Chinese tourists were making over a 160 million outbound journeys per year, spending the most on international tourism compared to other countries. Mainly Asian countries are reaping the benefits of this lucrative market, however Europe could be the next top destination continent with its growing popularity among high-end Chinese travelers.

China Tourism Revenue: Domestic data was reported at 5,754,300.000 RMB mn in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 4,913,310.000 RMB mn for 2023. China Tourism Revenue: Domestic data is updated yearly, averaging 946,649.296 RMB mn from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2024, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,754,300.000 RMB mn in 2024 and a record low of 17,000.000 RMB mn in 1990. China Tourism Revenue: Domestic data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Tourism Sector – Table CN.QAA: Tourism Industry Overview.

In 2024, international visitors in China spent around 94.2 billion U.S. dollars, nearly 78 percent more than in the previous year. While the international tourism revenue as well as the number of overseas visitors in China grew significantly in 2024, the number still stayed below the pre-pandemic level.

Tourism Revenue: Domestic: Shanghai data was reported at 367,811.000 RMB mn in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 208,014.000 RMB mn for 2022. Tourism Revenue: Domestic: Shanghai data is updated yearly, averaging 279,800.000 RMB mn from Dec 2002 (Median) to 2023, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 478,930.000 RMB mn in 2019 and a record low of 99,380.000 RMB mn in 2002. Tourism Revenue: Domestic: Shanghai data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Tourism Sector – Table CN.QRB: Tourism Revenue: Domestic: Prefecture Level City.

Beijing: Tourism Revenue: Tourist Attraction data was reported at 1,140.765 RMB mn in Dec 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,046.956 RMB mn for Nov 2024. Beijing: Tourism Revenue: Tourist Attraction data is updated monthly, averaging 553.476 RMB mn from Jan 2008 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 192 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,609.859 RMB mn in Jul 2023 and a record low of 46.593 RMB mn in Feb 2020. Beijing: Tourism Revenue: Tourist Attraction data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Tourism Sector – Table CN.QRA: Tourism: Beijing.

In 2024, the revenue from tourism in Beijing, China amounted to about 672 billion yuan, an increase from 585 billion yuan in the previous year. This was the record high tourism revenue in Beijing in the past few years.

China Tourism Revenue: Entertainment data was reported at 4.421 USD bn in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.582 USD bn for 2018. China Tourism Revenue: Entertainment data is updated yearly, averaging 1.968 USD bn from Dec 1994 (Median) to 2019, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.710 USD bn in 2016 and a record low of 86.000 USD mn in 1994. China Tourism Revenue: Entertainment data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Tourism Sector – Table CN.QAB: Visitor: Tourism Revenue: By Source.

In 2024, the tourists from China's urban areas contributed to almost 86 percent of the domestic tourism revenue in the country. The total domestic tourism revenue exceeded 5.7 trillion yuan in 2024.

China’s international luxury tourism was anticipated to have experienced a decline in revenue of approximately 67 percent by the end of 2020, according to a Statista study published on the topic in March of 2021. This Chinese tourism segment, however, has been expected to bounce almost entirely back in 2023 and 2024, where it is forecasted to climb to 41 billion U.S. dollars. On the other hand, domestic luxury tourism in the Asian country was less impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Namely, this segment of China's tourism was projected to have generated one billion U.S. dollars less in 2020 compared to 2019, but quickly thereafter begin bringing in growing revenues each consecutive year until at least 2024, when approximately 137 billion U.S. dollars in revenue could be generated.

China Tourism Revenue: Hong Kong data was reported at 2.851 USD bn in Dec 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.505 USD bn for Nov 2018. China Tourism Revenue: Hong Kong data is updated monthly, averaging 785.000 USD mn from Jan 2000 (Median) to Dec 2018, with 225 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.889 USD bn in Dec 2016 and a record low of 326.100 USD mn in Apr 2003. China Tourism Revenue: Hong Kong data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s China – Table CN.QAB: Visitor: Tourism Revenue.

China Tourism Revenue: Foreign Currency: Year to Date data was reported at 94.200 USD bn in Dec 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 52.960 USD bn for Dec 2023. China Tourism Revenue: Foreign Currency: Year to Date data is updated monthly, averaging 20.358 USD bn from Jan 2001 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 220 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 131.300 USD bn in Dec 2019 and a record low of 1.242 USD bn in Jan 2001. China Tourism Revenue: Foreign Currency: Year to Date data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Tourism Sector – Table CN.QAA: Tourism Industry Overview. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

In 2023, the tourism revenue in China increased by about 141 percent compared to the previous year. All years since 2020 witnessed a considerable drop in tourism revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In the last quarter of 2024, approximately 1.38 billion domestic tourist trips were made in China, exceeding the figure by around 160 million from the same period in 2023, i.e. growing by approximately 13 percent. Domestic travel during the pandemic Since the entire city of Wuhan was locked down during the initial outbreak of the pandemic in late 2019, China continued with stringent pandemic policies to minimize case numbers, implementing mass testing, contact tracing apps, mandatory quarantine, and imposed citywide lockdowns. This period witnessed a near cessation of international travel, and the annual number of domestic trips declined to around half of what it was before the pandemic. However, with increasing cases and public dissent against the government's restrictive containment measures, China abandoned its zero-COVID policy and began to ease pandemic regulations in December 2022. Post-pandemic domestic tourism During the post-pandemic recovery, China’s tourism sector showed a robust resurgence. In early 2023, the domestic tourist market has returned to the pre-pandemic levels, reporting a total revenue of over 148 billion yuan. In 2024, the domestic tourism revenue in China exceeded 5.7 trillion yuan, 86 percent of which was a contribution of the traveling urban residents.

This statistic depicts the revenue from tourism during the Chinese New Year in China in 2024, by region. During that period, Guangdong province made the biggest revenue from tourism in China, amounting to around 69.4 billion yuan.

Tourism Revenue: Domestic: Yunnan: Dali data was reported at 78,268.000 RMB mn in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 52,780.000 RMB mn for 2021. Tourism Revenue: Domestic: Yunnan: Dali data is updated yearly, averaging 11,740.000 RMB mn from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2022, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 78,268.000 RMB mn in 2022 and a record low of 4,586.420 RMB mn in 2005. Tourism Revenue: Domestic: Yunnan: Dali data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Dali Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Tourism Sector – Table CN.QRC: Tourism Revenue: Domestic: Prefecture Level Region.

This statistic shows the revenues from inbound tourism in Shanghai, China from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, revenues from inbound tourism in Shanghai amounted to about 6.19 billion U.S. dollars, an increase from 1.72 billion U.S. dollars in the previous year.

Tourism Revenue: Domestic: Fujian: Xiamen data was reported at 153,051.000 RMB mn in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 84,315.000 RMB mn for 2022. Tourism Revenue: Domestic: Fujian: Xiamen data is updated yearly, averaging 74,847.000 RMB mn from Dec 2007 (Median) to 2023, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 153,051.000 RMB mn in 2023 and a record low of 23,957.000 RMB mn in 2007. Tourism Revenue: Domestic: Fujian: Xiamen data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Tourism Sector – Table CN.QRB: Tourism Revenue: Domestic: Prefecture Level City.

In 2023, the total contribution of the travel and tourism industry accounted for around 7.3 percent of China's total GDP. This equaled to more than 9.2 trillion yuan or approximately 1.3 trillion U.S. dollars. Travel and tourism industry's contribution to the country's GDP was estimated to increase to 9.6 percent in 2024.

China Tourism Revenue: Long Distance Transport: Rail data was reported at 1.410 USD bn in 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.352 USD bn for 2018. China Tourism Revenue: Long Distance Transport: Rail data is updated yearly, averaging 837.500 USD mn from Dec 1994 (Median) to 2019, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.320 USD bn in 2016 and a record low of 134.000 USD mn in 1994. China Tourism Revenue: Long Distance Transport: Rail data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Tourism Sector – Table CN.QAB: Visitor: Tourism Revenue: By Source.