Inbound travel has emerged as a bright spot in China’s Labour Day holiday spending, while domestic tourism is seeing modest growth amid nationwide efforts to boost consumption during a heated trade war with the United States.

Advanced flight bookings from China to the US for this summer have declined, the latest data shows amid escalating trade tensions between the economic superpowers.

China is bracing for a major outbound travel surge during this year’s Labor Day Golden Week. An average of 2.15 million cross-border passenger trips are expected per day, according to the National Immigration Administration (NIA).

Plan a €1000 Europe Trip Using AI By leveraging AI to track low-cost airline deals, combining red-eye flights and multi-stopover routes, choosing Couchsurfing or hostel dorms, using night buses, DIY visa applications, and FlixBus for budget transport, travellers can craft extremely affordable Eastern Europe itineraries. Fliggy’s AI now supports real-time low-price alerts and route generation.

A recession would slow global tourism growth. Skift Research recently lowered its 2025 global travel growth forecast from 6% to 9% down to 2% to 5% due to U.S. recession and global slowdown risks being higher than at the start of the year.

China’s 2025 consumers favour digital-first, emotional choices. Gen Z, women, and luxury shifts drive travel, spending, and lifestyle trends.

Thailand is no longer one of Chinese tourists’ top five preferred destinations, a new study has shown, prompting industry executives to propose using subsidised flights to reverse the decline.

Fliggy Travel released its new “AI Ask” tool, promoting it as more than a trip planner—a route customiser, budgeting assistant, travel advisor, hotel consultant, and more. “You can ask it anything,” says Fliggy, showcasing the growing intersection of AI and travel platforms.

As we mark the 7th anniversary of China Trading Desk, we take this moment to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who have journeyed...