China
Intro
Travellers from China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) made 54.3 million outbound visits in 2024, with a total international tourism expenditure of US$209.6 billion.
In 2023, the UK welcomed 368,000 visits from China. During the travellers’ visits, their total expenditure was £798.1 million, with an average spend of £2,167 per visit.
Visitor characteristics
- Chinese visitors tend to be younger than the average visitor to the UK. 46% of visits from China were made by people aged 16-34 years old in 2023.
- Those visiting Britain from China are more likely than average to be making their first visit: only 29% of holidaymakers from China departing the UK in 2015 (excluding British expats) had already visited the UK within the past 10 years.
- The vast majority of holiday visitors from China are Chinese nationals.
- 78% of departing visitors from China (excluding British expats) were ‘extremely likely’ to recommend Britain for a visit in 2017.
Popular activities for this market
Dining in a restaurant.
Sightseeing of famous buildings and monuments.
Going shopping.
For further information on activities and experiences for this market, please click here.
Explore the inbound data in full
Use our visualisations to see data from this market in greater depth and clarity. Compare annual statistics, and filter by age group, gender, trip duration and more. Includes seasonality, trip purpose and regional spread of visitors to UK destinations. This data is based on the International Passenger Survey, conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
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Perceptions of Britain in the Chinese market
- The UK’s overall ranking from China was eighth among 50 nations in the 2024 Anholt Nation Brands Index.
- Chinese ranked the UK fourth for cultural heritage and culture in general, fifth for historic buildings and sixth for contemporary culture.
Global context
Top-level statistics relating to tourism expenditure and popular destinations for this market. For greater detail on inbound tourism flows from this market to the UK, see our data visualisations.
| Measure | 2024 |
| International tourism expenditure (US$bn) | 209.59 |
| Global rank for international tourism expenditure | 1 |
| Number of outbound visits excl. Hong Kong & Macao (m) | 54.3 |
| Number of outbound visits incl. Hong Kong & Macao (m) | 88.7 |
| Most visited destination (incl. Hong Kong & Macao) | Hong Kong |
| Most visited destination (excl. Hong Kong & Macao) | Japan |
| Most visited destination in Western Europe | France |
Caring for visitors
- It is important to appreciate cultural differences.
- Visitors appreciate ‘support’ and ‘welcome’ in the form of Chinese language facilities (signage, Mandarin-speaking staff and Chinese TV channels for example)
- Spicy food is a favourite, and if the younger and more affluent Chinese travellers are more exposed to European culture and food, there is still a preference for Chinese food among many, although people are increasingly appreciative of western cuisine. Things like Chinese instant noodles, hot pot, Chinese pickles and chilli jams can go down well with most Chinese groups.
- Digital payments such as AliPay are WeChat Pay are widely accepted in China, and travellers appreciate being able to use those abroad as well.
The leisure and travel trade
- The FIT (Free and Independent Travel) segment continue to grow, but travel agents still play a vital role in China, especially among first-time long-haul travellers. This is due to the convenience and assistance that they provide regarding language barriers and visa processes. More high-end travellers are willing to pay for services which will set their experience apart from the mass.
- There are 117 accredited travel agents under the ‘Approved Destination Status’ agreement in China. These are the agents who can process leisure ADS visa applications in groups, for pre-determined itinearies, and thus operate leisure tours.
- If visiting the trade in China it is important to take an interpreter/guide, to prepare business cards to exchange, and to be punctual and well-prepared. Having an active account on WeChat and RED will help you really connect with Chinese trade for follow up and further communication.
Access to Britain from China
The key routes and transport modes that connect this market with the UK.
| Measure | 2024 |
| Weekly aircraft departures | 100 |
| Weekly seat capacity | 29,369 |
| Airports with direct routes in China | 12 |
| Airports with direct routes in Britain | 4 |
- 92% of seat capacity on direct routes from China to the UK is on routes to London, and 69% is on routes to London Heathrow airport.
- In 2024, scheduled seat capacity was 27% higher than pre-pandemic levels.
To see entry requirements for visitors to the UK from China click here.
To see rates for Air Passenger Duty charged on passengers flying to China from the UK click here.
Further resources
Where visitors from China to the UK reside in their own country.xlsx
How we source this information
We work with a number of data sources to provide a rich and insightful picture of our key inbound source markets. This includes, but is not limited to, data provided by Oxford Economics, the UNWTO, Apex, Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index and from our own surveys and ad-hoc research. The largest share of the data comes from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) by the ONS.
Visit our About the International Passenger Survey page for more information on how the data is collected and analysed.
