China Trading Desk (CTD) has released findings from its Q4 2025 China Outbound Travel Survey, showing that 64.4% of Chinese outbound travellers are likely or very likely to shop at the airport. While the report confirms airport retail as mainstream behaviour, it also identifies a large, commercially decisive swing segment.

Social platforms play a significant role in shaping airport shopping intent. Airport shopping has become a mainstream part of the outbound travel journey for Chinese consumers, but converting interest into actual spend is increasingly an execution challenge rather than an awareness one, according to new research from China Trading Desk (CTD).

Japan drops from #2 to #7 for Chinese travellers as warnings and cancelled flights bite. Meanwhile, Asia leads and booking windows get shorter.

China’s 2026 Spring Festival holiday will run from 15–23 February (nine days), creating the “longest-ever” Lunar New Year break and triggering an early surge in outbound travel planning. Based on platform and industry reporting, this newsletter explores how travellers are booking earlier, splitting trips to avoid peak crowds, shifting towards long-haul nature escapes, and rebalancing short-haul favourites across Thailand, Korea and Malaysia. We also outline what destinations,

This week’s discussions across China’s major platforms focus on New Year “micro-holiday” travel behaviours (hot springs, snow and sun escapes), Japan travel safety sentiment, visa-free tailwinds for mid- to long-haul outbound trips, precious metals volatility, and policy signals shaping flight pricing and travel planning. Below is a concise, SEO-friendly roundup from Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Baidu and Zhihu, with links embedded for quick access.

This week’s conversation across China’s major platforms centres on Hainan’s post–port-close consumption buzz, overseas travel safety and missing-person anxiety, a sharp contraction in China–Japan air routes, and fresh visa-free expectations for outbound travel.

Strict flight rules and economic headwinds are forcing scrutiny-wary tycoons to rebase aircraft in places such as Singapore or downgrade to commercial cabins

This week’s discussions across China’s major platforms focus on Japan’s approaching “zero panda” moment, new consumer-stimulus measures, destination backlash narratives, regional security risks, and policy-driven travel and retail sentiment. Below is a concise roundup from Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Baidu and Zhihu, with links embedded for quick access.

As 2025 closes, China Trading Desk unpacks the shifts shaping China’s consumer and marketing landscape—Double 11’s move to “value verification”, changing alcohol habits, Gen Z identity-led spending, outbound travel’s data-driven rebound, pro-consumption policy signals to 2027, and AI’s rising role in discovery. Key takeaways for brands planning China-native growth in 2026.