Chinese Tourist Numbers Rise in Europe, American Tourist Numbers Fall
The European Travel Commission (ETC) conducted a survey with 7,100 long-haul travelers from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. According to the survey results, presented exclusively to Bloomberg, cost-conscious American travelers are abandoning European vacations, while Chinese tourists are filling the void.
According to the results of the ETC survey, 72% of Chinese participants plan to travel to Europe this summer. This represents a 10% increase compared to 2024. These figures are a breath of fresh air for hoteliers, restaurant owners, and other business owners on the continent who rely on high-spending foreign tourists.
According to the UN Tourism Organization, Chinese tourists spent $251 billion abroad in 2024, exceeding pre-2020 levels. This makes China the largest market in terms of overall tourism spending, but until recently, most of this revenue was spent on travel within Asia.
The problem in the European tourism economy
The ETC's findings that Chinese tourists are not planning to spend as much as they used to is a cause for concern. This result is significant given the previous tendency of Chinese tourists to indulge in luxury shopping. Only 29% of those surveyed stated that they plan to spend more than €200 ($229) per day, a 44% decrease compared to last summer. The majority of Chinese travelers (54%) plan to limit their budgets to between €100 and €200 per day.
Nevertheless, the ETC's report stated that at least 53% of Chinese participants indicated that shopping would play at least some role in their travels. Those on business trips have more generous budgets. 36% of this group plan to spend more than €200 per day. Overall, Chinese tourists are tightening their budgets more than tourists from other countries.
Only one-third of American travelers who participated in the ETC's survey plan to travel to Europe this summer, a decrease of 7% compared to 2024. The other three markets examined in the ETC report, Brazil, Canada, and Japan, are also trending downward, albeit to a lesser extent.
ETC CEO Eduardo Santander, stating that there are reasons to be optimistic, added, “Although the recovery in China is slower than in other long-haul markets, momentum is clearly increasing. Re-engaging with these travelers remains a top priority for many European destinations.”
