China set to become the world’s leading travel economy

China is on track to become the world’s leading T&T economy in the coming years if current trends continue.

New 2026 Economic Impact Research (EIR) data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) shows the Asian nation is emerging not only as the standout performer in the Asia-Pacific region, but also as a leader for how long-term investment in infrastructure can drive high-impact tourism growth at scale.

In 2025, China welcomed more than 68 million international visitors, marking a 15.5% year-on-year increase, nearly three times the global growth rate of 5.4%. 

International visitor spending rose by 10.5% to $135 billion, exceeding pre-pandemic levels and significantly out-performing the global average growth of 3.2%. 

The country recorded an additional 9 million arrivals compared to 2024, representing the largest increase globally.

The recovery is being driven by a combination of progressive policy reforms and technological innovation, supported by the strong strategic vision of the government positioning travel and tourism as a key pillar of national economic growth, the WTTC says. 

Expanded visa facilitation measures now cover more than 50 countries, offering visa-free stays of up to 30 days and extended transit stays of up to 10 days. Since 2020, arrivals from visa-exempt markets have increased fivefold, including an additional 18% growth in 2025 alone.

Investment in air connectivity and high-speed rail infrastructure is further strengthening accessibility, improving connections between major international gateways and secondary cities, and supporting a more balanced distribution of tourism flows across the country.

“China’s recovery shows how targeted policy reforms can translate directly into stronger inbound demand and sustained growth," says Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of WTTC. 

"Continued progress in visa facilitation will be essential to sustaining this momentum. This approach, over time, could position China to become the world’s leading travel and tourism [destination] if they continue with this path.”

See wttc.org

Image: Shanghai, The Bund.

Brexit blowback as WTTC switches from London to Madrid

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced Madrid as its new headquarters following the organisation’s decision to leave its London base after 35 years.

The WTTC announced this week that its executive committee had unanimously approved the Spanish capital as the location of its new global headquarters, news hub Travel Mole reported.

The move is designed to deliver greater value to members and unlock fresh growth potential for the travel and tourism sector.

Madrid was selected following a competitive evaluation process in which five destinations formally expressed interest in hosting the new office: Dubai, France, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland.

Each bid was assessed against six core criteria, including office rental and operating costs; the fiscal, incentive, and competitive environment; fast-track visa and work permit arrangements; government support; cost of living to attract and retain talent; and proximity to international organizations.

All 17 members of the WTTC executive committee endorsed Madrid after an in-depth review of the organization’s long-term strategic and operational needs.

Committee members concluded that the Spanish capital offered the most compelling overall proposition, combining strong competitiveness, a more favourable tax environment, robust public-sector backing, simplified visa procedures for staff, and lower overall operating costs.

Ongoing challenges linked to Brexit - particularly restrictions on talent mobility - were also cited as factors that reduced the UK’s attractiveness.

Establishing its global office in Madrid will give WTTC immediate access to a far larger and more diverse talent pool.

The Spanish capital is already home to the UNWTO, which could provide more synergies between the two organisations.

“Madrid gives us the platform to operate more efficiently, deliver greater value to our members, access world-class talent, and maintain a truly global outlook, with the strong support of the Spanish government,” said WTTC chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio of Italy.

# The WTTC is a forum for the travel and tourism industry. It comprises members from the global business community and works with governments to raise awareness about the travel and tourism industry.

It's official: tourists are avoiding the US

It is official. Travellers are voting with their wallets and avoiding the US.

The World Travel & Tourism Council is forecasting a significant decline in tourism spending by international travellers to the US this year, media hub Travel Mole reports.

The WTTC predicts a drop of up to $US 12.5 billion in travel revenue in 2025.

That could potentially put nearly 100,000 tourism jobs at risk, it says .

The WTTC study, in conjunction with tourism data partner Oxford Economics, estimates that tourism receipts will fall below $169 billion by the end of 2025.

That marks a decline of about 7% with numbers down by 22% on 2019 levels.

The WTTC says it is the only nation out of 184 global economies analysed that is expecting a decline in tourism revenue this year.

“Other countries are really rolling out the welcome mat, and it feels like the US is putting up a ‘we are closed’ sign at their doorway,” says WTTC president and Chief Executive Officer Julia Simpson.

“The US travel and tourism sector is the biggest sector globally compared to any other country, worth almost $2.6 trillion.”

Taking into consideration direct and indirect spending it represents about 9% of the US economy and employs 20 million people.

The WTTC says traveller sentiment has shifted due to the political rhetoric of the Trump Administration and stories of travellers being held at immigration for sometimes spurious reasons.

“What we are seeing now is a sentiment shift that’s really very sad,” Simpson said.

“Legislators need not confuse the tourism sector with issues around illegal immigration. A sophisticated system can balance both without turning the country into an island that no one wants to visit.”

The latest tourism data for March 2025 shows a decline in arrivals for all of the US’s major source markets.

Germany arrivals are down 28% and the UK 15% year-over-year.

There are also significant declines from South Korea, Spain and Ireland.

The WTTC now thinks US tourism won’t fully recover to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2030, even with the America 250 celebrations next year, the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics.

The British-based WTTC is a non-profit membership-based organisation