China Records 5.3 Billion Domestic Tourist Trips in First Nine Months of 2026, Spending Reaches $737 Billion

Beijing, October 27, 2026: China recorded more than 5.3 billion domestic tourist trips during the first nine months of 2026, representing a 6.2% year-on-year increase, as the country's tourism sector continued expanding amid growing domestic travel demand.

According to figures released by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT), domestic tourism expenditure reached 4.95 trillion yuan, approximately $737 billion, between January and September, marking a 2.2% increase compared with the corresponding period in 2025.

The ministry's survey highlighted strong participation from both urban and rural populations, reflecting the expanding role of tourism in China's domestic economy.

Urban residents accounted for more than 4 billion tourist trips, registering annual growth of 6.6%. Meanwhile, rural residents undertook approximately 1.27 billion trips, an increase of 5.1% compared with the previous year.

In terms of expenditure, urban tourists contributed 4.14 trillion yuan, representing 2.2% growth, while rural residents spent approximately 810 billion yuan, an increase of 2.1%.

The latest figures demonstrate continued growth in travel activity, although tourism spending increased at a slower pace than the number of trips.

China has established ambitious targets under its tourism development plan for 2026–2030, released in July. The government aims to increase annual domestic tourist trips to 8.3 billion and tourism expenditure to 7.7 trillion yuan by 2030.

In 2025, China recorded more than 6.5 billion domestic tourist trips, with total expenditure reaching 6.3 trillion yuan, setting records for both indicators.

The continued expansion of domestic tourism is expected to support transportation, hospitality, retail businesses and regional economic development.

China's tourism performance also highlights the importance of domestic consumption as Beijing seeks to strengthen economic activity and achieve its longer-term development objectives.