Chinese Outbound Travel Trade Survey: January 2026

The Year of the Fire Horse begins on 17 February 2026, with a longer-than-ever, nine-day public holiday to celebrate the Chinese New Year. What can we expect for this peak season for Chinese outbound travel, and for the rest of 2026? To find out, Dragon Trail surveyed 315 travel agents selling outbound travel from mainland China. Our report covers 2025 market performance and outlook for 2026, Chinese New Year and winter travel trends, and B2B outreach.

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Our respondents were optimistic about the year to come, with 87% expecting market growth. But most are predicting moderate rather than significant increases, and they admit that growth slowed in 2025. Under these market conditions, it’s more important than ever to pinpoint the traveler profiles, products, and destinations with the most potential, and use this knowledge to optimize your approach to working with the Chinese travel trade.

Most of the biggest trends are ongoing: Independent travel continues to grow; tour group size continues to shrink. Trips are getting longer, with rising interest in in-depth exploration, niche travel themes, and fresh destinations inspired by social media. Chinese travel agents are under increased pressure to deliver personalized services and customizable products to their clients, and looking for the information and tools needed to put together food tours, visits to viral destinations, stays in special hotels, and local experiences. Key demographic markets such as silver travelers, family groups, and Gen-Z each require unique approaches and offerings. Interest in ice and snow tourism also continues to grow, with travelers’ appetites for the northern lights, hot springs in the snow, and other wintry experiences bigger than ever.

What can we expect from the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday? South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore are poised to be the leading hotspots, according to survey respondents. Russia’s new visa waiver policy will boost visitor numbers, while Nordic countries – particularly Iceland and Norway – have truly captured Chinese travelers’ attention. Beyond the top 10 destinations, Chinese travel agents expect their customers to explore widely, visiting cities, islands, deserts, and icebergs.

Chinese travel agents want to explore, too – they’re eager to learn more and connect with suppliers by going on FAM trips in 2026, as well as attending small-scale workshops and salons, major trade shows in China and abroad, and online presentations. Please get in touch with Dragon Trail to discuss how we can help you
to make these connections.

These are the 5 key insights from the report:

1) Modest growth is expected for China’s outbound travel market in 2026, following a slow rebound in 2025
87% of surveyed travel agents forecast growth in China’s outbound travel market in 2026, with most expecting modest growth. In 2025, growth rates slowed, but were strongest among silver and younger demographics, alongside small group travel and FIT. In addition, Chinese travelers are demonstrating a stronger demand for in-depth trips featuring longer stays and cultural exploration, as well as interest in niche destinations inspired by social media content.

2) Safety is the most important – and growing – factor, but visa policies and direct flights have a major impact on destination choice
Safety has always been a top priority for Chinese travelers, and travel agents now say it’s even more important than ever – 79% say it has an “extreme impact” on destination choice. The next most important influences on destination choice are visa policy and direct flight connections. Travel agents told us that “visa-friendly” policies particularly suit the spontaneous nature of Chinese outbound tourism – nearly half (47%) say that travelers are most likely to book their trips within 14 days of departure.

3) Asia and northern Europe are the most popular destinations this Chinese New Year
… but Chinese travelers are venturing far and wide, including Antarctica, Oman, Chile, and Vanuatu. As of the end of December 2025, South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore topped the list, with Russia, Iceland, Norway, and France among the most popular long-haul destinations.

4) The popularity of ice and snow tourism continues to grow in China
65% of survey respondents said that ice and snow tourism is even more popular this winter than it was last year. Unique winter experiences like hot springs in the snow, and nature tourism – including the northern lights – have the most potential to grow even more in the coming years.

5) Chinese outbound travel agencies are getting ready for greater personalization and customization in their client services
To meet the demands of today’s outbound travelers, Chinese travel agents are preparing to upgrade customization services, respond better to personalized demands, and develop more small and private tours in 2026. Itinerary builder technology and other AI services can help them provide this.

Dragon Trail’s B2B marketing services include digital solutions such as AI itinerary planning tools, training courses and live webinars; trade representation; and a full range of event management, including offline, hybrid, and digital events and FAM trips. Click here to learn more, or contact us to discuss how we can connect you to the Chinese travel trade.

About this report

The Chinese Outbound Travel Trade Survey: January 2025 is published by Dragon Trail Research (a division of Dragon Trail International), based on our own survey of 315 travel agents currently selling outbound travel for mainland Chinese travel agencies. In addition to trade and consumer reports, Dragon Trail Research also offers a number of services to travel brands and businesses, including bespoke consumer and trade surveys, focus groups and more. Please click here or contact us for more information on how we can help you get the information you need on China’s travel market.

About Dragon Trail

Dragon Trail Research is a division of Dragon Trail International, an award-winning marketing solutions company with roots in China and extensive experience in the global travel and MICE sectors. Since 2009, our international team of digital solutions and marketing specialists has been helping leading brands around the world to become more globally connected and competitive. Our clients span the travel, MICE, education, and trade sectors, including national and regional destination marketing organizations, event organizers, international organizations, hotels, airlines, cruise lines, attractions, retailers and more.