Earlier this year, as the Dragon Boat Festival closed, it struck me there was a change among Chinese travellers and their attitudes to cruises. China’s cruise sector has signalled not just recovery, but strategic reawakening.

China’s outbound tourism is booming again, entering a new era of recovery and reinvention in 2024. With 123 million overseas trips last year—a 41% jump from 2023—Chinese travellers are venturing far beyond Hong Kong and Macau to rediscover destinations across Asia, Europe, Oceania, the Americas, and Africa. According to the 2024 China Outbound Tourist Satisfaction Report by the China Tourism Academy, this rebound is not just about numbers—it’s about evolving travel motivation

China’s silver-haired consumers are becoming a driving force in the country’s digital economy, with more than 160 million seniors online and internet penetration nearing 80%. Once seen as peripheral, older users on Douyin are shaping trends in fashion, health, food, and lifestyle consumption. The article explores how self-care, social interaction, and health needs drive senior shopping behaviour, the gendered patterns influencing product choice, and why comfort, authenticity,

China’s internet advertising market grew to RMB 359.85 billion in H1 2025, up 5.6% year-on-year, as the sector enters a “regulated maturity” phase. QuestMobile’s latest report highlights stronger regulatory oversight, market dominance of Taobao, Douyin, and WeChat, and surging ad spend in lifestyle sectors like beauty and mother-and-baby. Mobile channels remain the core driver, with Xiaohongshu, Kuaishou, and Bilibili gaining traction for targeted campaigns.

China’s tourism landscape continues to evolve, influenced by international policies, financial tools, safety concerns, and shifting consumer preferences. This week’s highlights from Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Baidu, and Zhihu reveal emerging dynamics shaping both outbound and domestic travel.

According to China Trading Desk, Chinese outbound tourists are estimated to reach 155 million this year, a full resumption compared with pre-pandemic levels.

China’s 2025 summer outbound travel season marked a strong recovery, with international flights up 9.8% year-on-year and demand surging for Europe, South Asia, and Central Asia. Travellers favoured premium hotels and longer family stays, while students shifted to higher-quality, in-depth trips. Shopping remained central, led by fashion and luxury goods, with cross-border transactions on WeChat Pay increasing by 34%. Top trending destinations included Spain, Austria, Italy, Cr

China’s 2025 “Super Golden Week” is set to ignite record-breaking travel and spending as the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival combine into an eight-day holiday. In 2024, Golden Week saw 7.6 million border crossings, up 33.2 per cent year on year, while international flights climbed 38.2 per cent. This year demand is even stronger, with bookings already surging for visa-free hotspots in Southeast Asia and long-haul escapes to Europe. Alongside booming outbound tourism, ret

From multi-tiered family vacations and evolving gifting behaviour during Qixi Festival, to viral debates on Japanese tourism and international etiquette—China's netizens are reflecting, reshaping, and reacting to what matters. Here's your 9-topic roundup from Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Zhihu.