Market Overview
China is the world’s second-largest economy by gross domestic product (GDP) since 2010. In fact, the Chinese economy is larger than those of the next four economies – Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and India – combined. With a population of 1.4 billion in 2019, 10.4% of households earn middle-class incomes, up from 2.9% in 2010. Because of the size of China’s population and the growing share of the population that can travel internationally, China has become a major source of global long-haul travel. In 2019, China was the second largest source of global long-haul travel (only behind the United States), up from the eighth largest in 2010.
Pre-pandemic (2015-2019), 7.5% of overseas visitors to the United States came from China, making it the third largest overseas source market for international visitation behind only the United Kingdom and Japan. In 2019 alone, China visitation to the United States totaled 2.8 million arrivals. During this same period (2015-2019), China was the largest source market for travel export dollars to the United States, with spending from Chinese visitors constituting 13.6% of U.S. travel exports. In 2019, Chinese visitors spent $33.2 billion in the United States, accounting for 20% of U.S. exports to China.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a crippling effect on travel and tourism around the globe. From 2019 to 2021, Chinese visitation to the United States declined 93% to 192,000. In November 2021, the United States ended pandemic-related travel restrictions between the United States and other countries, including China. In 2022, Chinese visitation to the United States recovered to 368,000, or 13% of 2019 levels. In August 2023, China lifted pandemic-era restrictions on group leisure travel to the United States, which could facilitate additional travel to the United States. By 2023, Chinese visitation to the United States of nearly 1.1 million arrivals accounted for 38% of visitation in 2019.
Brand USA, the United States’ destination marketing organization, compiles comprehensive information for top overseas markets. Below you will find the latest market insights from China regarding motivations and impressions of the United States:
Top States Visited by Chinese Travelers in 2022
| State Visited | Percentage of Chinese Travelers Visiting |
| California | 42% |
| New York | 34% |
| Massachusetts | 12% |
| Washington | 12% |
| Illinois | 8% |
Top Motivations for Selecting Last Intercontinental Destination
- Leisure Attractions
- Appeal of Local Culture
- Natural Features
- Sightseeing Opportunities
- Quality of Beaches
- Ease of Travel
Strongest Impressions of the United States
- Energetic
- Diverse
- Open-minded
- Creative
- Adventurous
- Arrogant
Market Opportunities
Education Spending: China has been the top source of U.S. educational travel exports since 2010. Chinese students visiting the United States for education offer market opportunities as families invest in international educational trips, reflecting a desire to enhance their children’s cultural knowledge and international exposure. Historically, large amounts of students from China choose to study abroad in the United States; however, the COVID-19 pandemic devastated tourism at all levels. In 2022, China’s education-related travel exports to the United States recovered to 69% of 2019 spending. By contrast, recovery of all other Chinese travel exports in 2022 reached only 11% of 2019 spending.
Package and Group Travel: Historically, 34% of Chinese travelers report using a travel agency for trip planning, with another six percent using tour companies and 15% using corporate travel departments. This predilection to using travel packages presents an opportunity for U.S. providers across the sector (airlines, train/bus travel, accommodations, attractions, dining, etc.) to collaborate and package services to collectively reap increased travel exports.
Luxury Travel: China has seen a revival in the high-end travel market with the reopening of its border following the pandemic. Wealthy Chinese travelers are prepared to upgrade their travel spending by increasing overseas travel frequency and duration. These luxury travelers are demonstrating a growing preference for immersive, slow-paced, and high-quality experiences, extending to premium offerings such as first-class flights and luxury accommodations. This preference highlights a segment for businesses offering tailored services, cultural experiences, or wellness-focused packages. In Outbound Rebound 2023: The Return of Chinese Travelers, a survey conducted by FINN Partners and CSG Research, nearly half of the respondents, who classify as China’s high-income travelers, plan to make at least five trips in 2023, a slight increase from 2019 averages. Planned spending for 2023 is expected to rise by 15%, with an average budget of approximately USD $15,299.
Extended Stay Travel: With an average stay of four months in the United States in 2022, which is nearly six times longer than the 21 days for overall overseas visitors, more than half of Chinese travel to the United States is extended-stay travel. Further, the majority of respondents to the FINN Partners and CSG Research survey report an intention to extend their vacation duration compared to pre-pandemic levels, and over a third of these high-end travelers plan to utilize premium travel and accommodation services.
Market Challenges
Safety Perceptions: Chinese tourism industry contacts regularly express their concerns that Chinese tourists have apprehensions to travel to the United States due to narratives broadcasted by Chinese state media. Chinese state media repeatedly highlight gun violence and anti-Asian sentiment in the United States, which could create a negative perception of the country amongst Chinese travelers. Morning Consult Pro’s The State of U.S.-China Relations: H2 2022 Report showed that 57% of Chinese adults cited violent crime as a reason to avoid travel to the United States, with an even higher percentage of those interested in traveling to the United States expressing concern about violent crime.
Visas: Visa appointment demand in China has increased since the end of COVID travel restrictions. The United States began issuing multiple-entry B1/B2 visas with a validity of up to 10 years for Chinese applicants in November 2014. The first of these visas awarded are now in their final months of validity and will require renewal, potentially causing an upcoming surge in visa requests.
Geopolitics: Due to the war in the Ukraine, U.S.-flagged flights are restricted from Russian airspace, limiting the number of flights to China by U.S. airlines.
Learn More
Return to Travel & Tourism Report Index
