The May Day holiday showcased robust vitality in China's cross-border tourism. Chinese tourists' demand for more diverse travel experiences is driving accelerated quality upgrades in destination tourism industries. Simultaneously, a growing number of foreign tourists are choosing to visit China to experience the charm of Chinese lifestyle and culture. Observers from multiple countries believe the sustained recovery of China's tourism market demonstrates significant spillover effects, injecting momentum into global tourism development.
The demand for diversified and deeper tourism experiences from Chinese travelers during this year's May Day holiday is helping optimize local products and services, promoting industry upgrades. "Shopping remains part of the journey but is no longer the core demand," said Caroline Paul, President of French tourism marketing company Talents Travel. Chinese tourists are shifting toward experiential consumption, showing interest in French castle complexes as well as surrounding gardens, parks, natural landscapes, and increasingly popular French cooking classes.
Governments and relevant institutions worldwide are actively embracing the consumption vitality brought by Chinese tourists through various measures. Short-term initiatives include providing visa-free policies, increasing flight frequencies, and improving payment convenience. Long-term strategies involve optimizing Chinese language signage and guide services, developing in-depth travel routes tailored to Chinese tourists, and strengthening cooperation with Chinese tourism agencies.
Meanwhile, foreign tourists traveling to China continues to gain popularity, with more diverse destination choices. Travel platform data shows during the May Day holiday, non-traditional inbound destinations like Heilongjiang, Guizhou, Hunan, Xinjiang, and Shanxi all experienced passenger flow growth exceeding 60%. International flight bookings to Sanya and Jieyang doubled year-over-year, while Xi'an saw over 70% growth. Russia led in inbound tourist numbers with 120.1% year-over-year growth.
With increasingly convenient visa, payment, and flight services for China travel, many foreign tourists are no longer satisfied with simple check-in visits but are choosing to experience daily Chinese life. The South China Morning Post reported Korean content creators are flooding into major Chinese cities, using Shanghai and Shenzhen streets as vibrant backdrops for travel videos. Australia's Brisbane Times noted China has become the fifth most popular destination for Australian travelers.
China's National Immigration Administration recently released data indicating the May Day holiday saw peak出入境 passenger flow at national ports, with average daily出入境 personnel reaching 2.25 million and single-day peak volume exceeding 2.4 million. Travel platform data shows出入境 flight bookings exceeded 1.12 million during the holiday, demonstrating steady growth compared with 2025.
Observers suggest the cross-border tourism热度 during China's May Day holiday reflects the country's enormous potential in the global tourism market, with its broad spillover effects on the global economy gradually becoming apparent. World Travel and Tourism Council data indicates China's tourism economy grew 9.9% in 2025, more than double the global average, with spending by foreign tourists in China increasing over 10%. The institution predicts China may become the world's largest tourism economy by 2030.
Industry experts also note Chinese tourists' outbound travel demands are forming important support for global tourism development and business model upgrades. "China's consumption upgrade is a crucial driver of global demand, with its impact further amplified through tourism," said Feruz Dotiyev, Head of International Cooperation at the Uzbekistan Tourism Committee. Humphrey Moshi, Economics Professor at University of Dar es Salaam, stated Chinese consumers are playing an increasingly important role in promoting global tourism recovery, particularly in developing countries.