Surge in Southeast Asian tourism to China

Leading online travel agency Trip.com Group recently unveiled the 2025 Southeast Asia Inbound and Outbound Tourism Trend Guide.

The platform's data revealed that Southeast Asian tourists' bookings for travel to China surged significantly this year, partly due to China's facilitative visa exemption policies.

The report demonstrated that in the first half of 2025, the travel demand of Southeast Asian tourists visiting China showed a diversified trend.

Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Beijing and Chengdu were the top five preferred destinations for Southeast Asian tourists. Among them, known for its futuristic buildings and vibrant food culture, Chongqing emerged as the fastest-growing destination with a year-on-year growth rate of 359 percent of views on Trip.com.

The data shows that tourists from Southeast Asia are interested in seeing natural scenery and having cultural experiences. The search volumes for scenic spots such as Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Huangshan Mountain increased by 110 percent year-on-year. The popularity of cultural landmarks including the Palace Museum in Beijing and Suzhou's classical gardens rose by more than 80 percent.

Southeast Asian tourists are no longer satisfied with traditional sightseeing; they pursue an integrated travel experience that combines urban leisure, natural wellness and immersive cultural engagement, according to the Trip.com Group.

Tourists can use the platform's artificial intelligence travel assistant and big data analytics to create personalized itineraries based on the must-see scenic areas released in the report.