China's outbound tourism industry quickly recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic, but the era of duty-free shopping sprees seems to be over.

China’s outbound travel sector has bounced back from the pandemic, but the era of duty-free shopping sprees appears to be over.

China’s “new consumption upgrade” is entering a supply led phase in 2026. Drawing on Zhongtai Securities’ 2026 Young Textile New Consumption Annual Strategy: Building on Quality Supply, Strength Wins in the End, this newsletter explores how demand is being created, from sports and outdoor routines, to scalable emotional consumption through IP, the mass adoption of ergonomic upgrades, and a K shaped premium recovery shaped by experience led retail and travel linked moments, an

Anxiety has become one of Xiaohongshu’s most powerful cultural and commercial drivers. Transforming abstract emotions into searchable keywords, high-engagement narratives, and purchase-triggering needs. Drawing on QianGua Data’s 2025 “Anxiety Emotion” Content Insight Report (covering 31 Aug 2024 to 31 Aug 2025), this newsletter explores the four dominant anxiety types: health, appearance, relationship, and survival, and what brands can do to respond with credibility, empathy,

China’s consumer outlook is stabilising — yet spending remains cautious, value-led, and increasingly “relevance-driven”. Drawing on NielsenIQ’s 2026 China Consumption New Landscape report (Dec 2025), this newsletter unpacks what’s changing across confidence, priorities, purchase triggers, and generational behaviours — and what brands must do to earn trust, premium, and long-term loyalty.

On January 10, 2026, China’s internet regulator (the Cyberspace Administration of China / 国家互联网信息办公室) published a new draft regulation for public comment: 《互联网应用程序个人信息收集使用规定（征求意见稿）》 (“Draft Provisions on the Collection and Use of Personal Information by Internet Applications”). Feedback is open until February 9, 2026. 

China’s vast outbound travel market is set for further growth in 2026, boosted by the spread of visa-free policies for Chinese nationals and a stronger yuan. But visits to Japan could plummet by nearly 50 per cent amid a political dispute between Beijing and Tokyo, according to analysts and industry insiders.

This week’s China platform buzz spotlights CNY self-drive planning (toll-free expressways), post-holiday airfare “price plunges” and off-peak deal hunting, Bali’s proposed bank-balance entry checks, and emotion-led consumption growth. Also trending: aviation recovery + 2026 fare regulation, green consumption targets (to 2027), New Year travel spend and outbound shifts, China–Korea signals, visa-free inbound momentum, and Hainan duty-free highs.

Q4 2025 marks a shift from “rebound” to routine in China outbound travel—yet travellers still commit late, so competitive advantage moves upstream. Social content is now a conversion lever (65% say promos on Xiaohongshu/Douyin make them more likely to shop), while price comparison is near-universal (98%). Trust still closes the deal (75% value staff assistance), making “shortlist → checkout” the new battleground.