China is set to surpass the US as the world’s leading travel and tourism economy in the coming years, a new study suggests.
The forecast by the World Travel & Tourism Council comes amid a phase of accelerated expansion, positioning it as a strong example of sustained tourism growth.
The country attracted more than 68 million international visitors in 2025, up 15.5% year on year and nearly three times the global growth rate of 5.4%.
International visitor spending rose by 10.5% to $135 billion, exceeding pre-pandemic levels and outperforming the global average growth of 3.2%.
China recorded an additional nine million arrivals compared to 2024, representing the largest increase globally.
Meanwhile, the US saw a 5.5% year on year decline in international visitors in 2025, to 68.3 million.
China’s performance places the country “firmly on track” to become the world’s leading travel and tourism economy in the coming years if current trends continue, according to new WTTC economic impact report data.
The WTTC said: “China is on track to reclaim its position as the world’s largest outbound travel market, with spending forecast to surge by 22.5% to nearly $280 billion in 2026, surpassing the US.
“The country is also a major force in business travel, ranking second worldwide with $192 billion in spending, reinforcing its global influence across corporate segments.”
The impact report added: “China is emerging not only as the standout performer in Asia-Pacific, but also as a leader for how to co-ordinated policy, innovation, and long-term investment in infrastructure can drive high-impact tourism growth at scale.
“China is also playing a central role in propelling Asia-Pacific to become the fastest-growing travel and tourism region in the world, achieving 8.1% growth.”
A combination of progressive policy reforms and technological innovation, supported by strong strategic vision of the government of China in positioning travel and tourism as a key pillar of national economic growth, is driving the growth.
Visa-free stays of up to 30 days and extended transit stays of up to 10 days now cover more than 50 countries.
China is enhancing the visitor experience via biometric systems at entry points and widespread adoption of advanced digital payment platforms, enabling a smoother end-to-end journey for international travellers.
“These efforts highlight the importance of innovation and digitalisation as core enablers of tourism growth,” the WTTC noted.
“Investment in air connectivity and high-speed rail infrastructure is further strengthening accessibility, improving connections between major international gateways and secondary cities, and supporting a more balanced distribution of tourism flows across the country.
“In parallel, large-scale development of new tourism zones, cultural attractions, and theme parks is diversifying China’s tourism offering and reinforcing its global competitiveness, underscoring the sector’s growing role as a driver of economic diversification, regional development, and job creation.”
Employment remains central to the growth, with travel and tourism supporting 84.6 million jobs in 2025 and expected to exceed 103 million by 2036, accounting for one in every five new tourism jobs globally during the next decade.
WTTC president and chief executive Gloria Guevara added: “China’s recovery shows how targeted policy reforms can translate directly into stronger inbound demand and sustained growth.
“Continued progress in visa facilitation will be essential to sustaining this momentum. This approach, over time, could position China to become the world’s leading travel and tourism if they continue with this path.”
