HONG KONG, 17 February, 2026: China’s outbound travel market is projected to exceed 225 million trips in 2026, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and moving beyond recovery into a structurally different phase of growth.
According to “Powering 2026 Affluent China Outbound Travel: What Comes Next for Brands,” jointly developed by EternityX and MoonFox, more than 90% of affluent Chinese consumers plan to travel overseas this year.
Between January and August 2025, Mainland Chinese travellers recorded 220 million cross-border trips, up 15.4% year on year, while outbound air passenger volume rose more than 20%. Visa-free access now spans 158 countries, accelerating long-haul intent and reducing friction.
The data points to a deeper transformation. China’s outbound market is not merely returning. It is upgrading in duration, segmentation, and revenue density.
From volume recovery to value capture
Safety and infrastructure are now baseline expectations rather than differentiators. Nearly half of affluent travellers cite safety as a decisive factor in destination choice, while price sensitivity has declined among higher income tiers.
Holiday peaks are expected to intensify in 2026, yet the more significant shift lies in spending structure. High-net-worth individuals now spend more than 16 days on long-haul trips, with per-capita budgets frequently exceeding CNY100,000. Mid-haul demand is broadening into the high-income segment, while short-haul continues to anchor overall volume.
China’s outbound market comprises three structurally distinct affluent tiers, each defined by distinct travel patterns, booking cycles, spending priorities, and media ecosystems. For destinations and global brands, this segmentation determines channel allocation, pricing strategy, and margin resilience.
Media behaviour signals market maturity
Middle-income travellers are platform-driven. Social media shapes discovery, and OTAs dominate conversion within compressed booking windows.
High-income travellers operate across layered validation systems, combining social inspiration with OTA and brand verification. Planning cycles are longer, particularly for mid-haul travel.
High-net-worth individuals follow a clear trust hierarchy. Official sources, expert commentary, and curated networks outweigh mass influencers—direct communication and premium service assurance drive conversion.
China’s outbound traveller no longer moves through a single marketing funnel. It moves through three distinct influence ecosystems.
EternityX CEO and founder Charlene Ree comments: “China’s outbound recovery is no longer cyclical. It is structural. When a market surpasses 225 million outbound trips and more than 90% of affluent consumers are planning overseas travel, the conversation shifts from volume recovery to value capture.”
Ree adds: “High Net Worth travellers staying beyond 16 days and deploying six-figure budgets are not incremental demand. They are reshaping revenue density for destinations and premium brands. This is a capital allocation question. Growth will not come from scaling reach. It will come from precision. Brands that pivot from broad acquisition to segmented, trust-led engagement will capture disproportionate share of wallet in the next cycle”.
The 2026 imperative
Short-haul volume remains anchored by digitally fluent mid-income travellers. High-income households drive mid-haul expansion. High-net-worth individuals underwrite long-haul profitability.
China’s outbound market has matured into a tiered revenue ecosystem. The brands that succeed will treat segmentation not as a marketing tactic, but as a strategic growth framework.
To download the report, visit: https://share-na2.hsforms.com/1b7Vks7XZSwWh7Ykxh127fQcc7go
About EternityX
EternityX Marketing Technology equips brands and businesses to master the Chinese audience through the power of three—PilotX, NaviX, and MediaX. These cutting-edge, AI–driven solutions provide data–driven insights and precise targeting that help brands connect with profitable audiences in key markets and beyond, powering cross–border marketing campaigns for over 500 brands.
(Source: EternityX)
