Travel impulsivity on the rise as Chinese shoppers put retailers and brands on alert
- Alice
- May 13
- 1 min read
Updated: Jun 10
By TR Business
Published May 2025
The growing spontaneity of travel planning among Chinese outbound travellers has been identified as a 'defining trend' in the latest China Outbound Travel Sentiment Survey for Q1 from China Trading Desk. TRBusiness assesses the indicators and what it means for travel retail in 2025 and beyond.
Talk of the delayed recovery in Chinese overseas travel and spending measured against pre-Covid 19 equivalents continues in industry circles. While airports in the region continue to claw back international passenger traffic volumes, it is notable that Asia Pacific is expected to generate accelerated pax growth between 2024 and 2030 at +5.2% versus the global average of +4%, forecasts ACI World.
In the case of China specifically, the indications point towards the Chinese tourist market edging towards a full recovery in 2025. Foreseeably, outbound travel could potentially reach or exceed the pre-pandemic (2019) high of 155 million in travellers.
According to research from China Trading Desk.
"The businesses that invest in omni-channel experiences, short-form content marketing, and seamless payment integration will be the biggest winners in 2025's travel retail boom." Subramania Bhatt, CEO and Founder, China Trading Desk.
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