Sixty-one per cent of 280 Chinese outbound travel agents surveyed in Dragon Trail International’s (DTI) June report say 2025 has improved over 2024, with best sales in small or private tours, “one-of-a-kind experiences” and “in-depth experiential journeys”.
The survey also highlights that B2B engagement remains essential to the trade.
Face-to-face meetings and in-person experiences are preferred, with 45 per cent favouring offline training, 42 per cent fam trips, and 39 per cent live streaming initiatives. A recent DTI webinar showed a strong link between destinations where agents see the most sales potential and those where they have attended fam trips and training.
Market research analyst Janice Meng said: “Japan in particular stands out as the top country for both fam trips and training in the last two years and it is also the most popular international destination for Chinese tourists. For Europe, all of the recent B2B events that survey respondents have attended have been organised by Western European countries, including leading destinations France, Italy and the UK.”
Agents prioritise cultural information such as historical attractions, local culture and customs to better understand and promote travel to Europe.
Market research analyst Tiana Tian added that Chinese travel agencies have embraced AI, with 82 per cent saying their company uses the technology. Intelligent travel assistants and translation support are the most common applications.
Director of marketing and communications Sienna Parulis-Cook noted Shanghai remains China’s top outbound source market, with Hangzhou and Guangzhou also key.
“Chengdu, Chongqing and Sichuan are also seeing big growth,” she said. “It’s also interesting to note that new international flights are being launched out of Shenzhen.”
