Cultural, immersive travel experience drives choices of China's Gen Z tourists

Live events are increasingly influencing the travel choices of Chinese Gen Z tourists, according to a 2025 China travel trends report by Booking.com.

The study finds that 26 percent of Gen Z travelers are motivated by concerts and music festivals, often crossing borders to attend these events – signaling a shift from traditional sightseeing toward cultural and immersive travel experiences.

The Teens in Times concert on August 24 at Shanghai Stadium paints the picture. The event drew nearly 300,000 attendees and sparked a surge in spending. The nearby Xujiahui commercial area saw almost 2 million visitors, with revenue topping 145 million yuan (US$20.25 million), while surrounding hotels were fully booked and earned 75 percent more than usual.

Additionally, 65 percent of Gen Z travelers turn to social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu (RedNote) for inspiration, highlighting that personalized travel services and products have increasingly become a standard offering rather than just an added bonus.

Beyond Gen Z, the report outlines broader outbound travel trends for Chinese tourists. From a destination perspective, the Asia-Pacific region remains a popular choice for travelers going abroad.

In particular, over the past year, China has become the fastest-growing international source market for inbound tourists to Australia. Popular destinations like Australia saw a 21 percent year-on-year growth, with 947,600 Chinese tourists visiting from June 2024 to May 2025.

Still, the report underlines a clear preference among Chinese travelers for nearby destinations with similar cultural experiences. Last year, 41 percent of Chinese tourists chose Thailand as their destination, followed by Japan with 36 percent and South Korea at 23 percent.

European countries are seeing a spike in interest. Italy, Spain and the Netherlands have all experienced a notable increase in attention, with interest growing by 15 percent, 10 percent and 10 percent, respectively, thanks to their distinct cultural offerings and rich heritage.

Cultural immersion and culinary discovery are emerging as drivers of outbound travel for Chinese tourists. The report reveals that 42 percent of travelers are motivated by the desire to experience local culture, while 39 percent are drawn to explore the unique flavors of their destination.

Notably, 54 percent of travelers said food significantly influences their destination choice, and 50 percent consider food an essential part of their travel experience.