DALLAS -- Every year, the number of Chinese tourists traveling the globe increases significantly, making them the largest group of travelers in the world. Now, thanks in part to a recent agreement between the U.S. and China to extend visas for short-term business travelers, tourists and students, the U.S. could see an increase in Chinese travelers in the near future.

This trend is supported by research from the latest Chinese International Travel Monitor (CITM) from Hotels.com® which reveals the U.S. is the second most popular destination for Chinese travelers to visit in the next 12 months (behind France), with popular U.S. landmarks like the Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty topping travel wish lists.

The CITM research also identifies that, while cities in Asia Pacific remain the most popular (82 percent of Chinese travelers have visited in the past 12 months), visitors to Europe and America have increased with a year over year growth of 25 percent and 11 percent, respectively. These destinations were particularly popular with millennial travelers, with 42 percent visiting Europe and 29 percent visiting America in the past 12 months.

Coming to America: Chinese Travelers to the U.S. Continues to Grow— Source: Hotels.comComing to America: Chinese Travelers to the U.S. Continues to Grow— Source: Hotels.com
Coming to America: Chinese Travelers to the U.S. Continues to Grow— Source: Hotels.com

According to the CITM, the Top U.S. Destinations for Chinese Travelers along with hotel suggestions are:

1. Hawaii

2. New York

3. Los Angeles

  • The LINE Hotel
    • 4.1 out of 5 guest review rating on Hotels.com
    • From $199 per night*

4. Las Vegas

5. Seattle

  • Hotel Andra
    • 4.6 out of 5 guest review rating on Hotels.com
    • From $224 per night*

6. San Francisco

  • Argonaut Hotel
    • 4.5 out of 5 guest review rating on Hotels.com
    • From $275 per night*

All of these properties and many more can be booked via the Hotels.com mobile app, available on iOS and Android.

"The CITM reveals that the United States is one of the top five countries Chinese travelers visit the most," said Josh Belkin, vice president and GM of the Hotels.com brand. "With tens of thousands of places to stay across the U.S., like distinctive boutiques, spacious vacation rentals and familiar chains, our site and mobile app have the perfect places for Chinese travelers of all ages and lifestyles."

In 2016, there were 122 million outbound Chinese tourists1 – four percent more than in 2015 and a massive 74 percent more than in 2011, when we published the first CITM. China is already the largest source of international travelers for many countries – despite the fact only 10 percent of the population had passports in 20162!

More information from the 2017 CITM, including detailed research findings on the five Chinese traveler personas and top ranked amenities can be accessed here.

About the research
The Hotels.com Chinese International Travel Monitor (CITM) analyses research taken directly from both Chinese international travellers and hoteliers worldwide, combined with Hotels.com own proprietary data and other research.

For the travelers' survey, Hotels.com used Ipsos, a world leader in market research, which in April and May 2017conducted interviews with 3,000 Chinese residents, aged 18–57 years, who had traveled overseas in the past 12 months. A Computer-assisted Web Interviewing technology was used. The representative sample consisted of men and women from a number of cities in all tiers.

The travelers were asked about travel behavior, booking methods, accommodation choices and many other aspects of their travel.

To complement this, Hotels.com carried out a global survey of more than 3,800 Hotels.com hotel partners, also during May 2017. The 38 participating countries were Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, the USA and Vietnam.

About Hotels.com® (or Hotels.com™)

The Hotels.com app makes it easy to find your perfect somewhere with almost one million places to stay around the world. So, whether you're looking for value in Vegas, treehouses in Thailand or villas with views, it's all just a search away. Now with One Key, our comprehensive rewards program, get rewarded beyond hotels — earn and then use rewards on eligible flights, vacation rentals, and more on Expedia and Vrbo. Members save 10% or more at select hotels when signed into the app, and Silver, Gold and Platinum members receive perks at select VIP Access properties, such as food and beverage discounts.

© 2024 Hotels.com, LP, an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Hotels.com and the Hotels.com logo are trademarks of Hotels.com, LP. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. CST# 2083949-50

Download the Hotels.com app on the App Store and Google Play. Follow Hotels.com on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.