Overview
- The World Travel & Tourism Council published its 2026 Economic Impact Research on June 7, 2026, saying China is on track to surpass the United States as the world’s top travel and tourism economy and forecasting travel spending to jump about 22.5 percent to nearly $280 billion in 2026.
- China’s 2025 recovery underpins the projection: the country welcomed more than 68 million international visitors and saw international visitor spending rise to roughly $135 billion, exceeding pre‑pandemic levels.
- The WTTC credits specific policy and infrastructure moves for the rebound, including expanded visa‑free stays of up to 30 days for more than 50 countries, major air and rail investment, and the rollout of biometric entry systems at ports of entry.
- The report highlights wider economic effects with China now second globally in business travel spending at about $192 billion and predicts the sector will nearly double in size to about $3.5 trillion over the next decade while creating one in five new global tourism jobs by 2036.
- The forecast is conditional on continued visa facilitation, transport and digital infrastructure rollouts and stable international economic and geopolitical conditions, which means a policy reversal or external shock could change the outcome and alter competition with the US market.