Foreign tourists wait to board a high-speed train at Luoyang Longmen Railway Station in Luoyang, Central China's Henan Province, on May 1, 2026.

China has the world's second-largest travel and tourism investment pipeline and is set to overtake the US in the next coming decade, with investment forecast to reach $402 billion by 2036, according to a report the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) sent to the Global Times on Thursday.
 
China has been welcoming a growing number of international travelers, who not only arrive in first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai but also increasingly explore small towns and villages to experience the country's rich and diverse culture. Industry insiders believe that these investments, combined with strong policy support such as expanded visa facilitation measure, will further strengthen China's position as a leading global travel destination.

The WTTC report forecasted that the Chinese tourism sector's share of total national investment would reach 3.7 percent by 2036, a significant rise from the 2.3 percent level in 2025. 
 
If current trends continue, China's accelerated expansion in the tourism sector will place the country firmly on track to become the world's leading travel and tourism economy, Gloria Guevara, WTTC president and CEO, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

"The combination of culture, history, gastronomy, excellent infrastructure, and ease of movement within the country will drive a significant increase in international travelers from all over the world," she explained.

Last year, the US, China, India and Saudi Arabia accounted for nearly half of all global travel and tourism investment, according to the WTTC report. And the global travel and tourism investment exceeded $1 trillion in 2025, growing by 8.5 percent year-on-year, as the whole sector outperformed the wider global economy and contributed a record $11.6 trillion to world GDP.
 
The report also highlighted a strong drive from China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), which had set the goal of becoming a world tourism powerhouse by 2035, as well as 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), which calls for more efforts to develop a broader range of high-grade tourism products and improve the quality of tourism services. "The set of objectives for domestic and inbound tourism will require continued investment in infrastructure, attractions, connectivity, accommodation, and visitor services," it noted.

"China is implementing almost all the policies needed to unlock its full potential in travel and tourism," Guevara said, taking example of China's expanded visa facilitation measures, improved tax-free shopping and tax refund policies, and initiatives that create a smoother and more seamless travel experience. 

According to her, while many countries take tourism for granted, lacking long-term plans and sufficient investment, China has made it a national priority. This is evident in its massive investments in airports, high-speed rail stations, and infrastructure, along with comprehensive long-term planning that serves both domestic and international travelers.

In 2025, international overnight arrivals reached a record 1.54 billion, growing by 5.6 percent year-on-year and adding 82 million additional arrivals compared with 2024. China, France and Japan recorded the largest absolute increases, together accounting for nearly 30 percent of the total increase, according to the WTTC.
 
The organization predicted that China's tourism industry would expand 5.3 percent in 2026, with an average annual growth rate of 6.5 percent over the next decade. By 2036, the sector is expected to nearly double in size to $3.5 trillion.