Reverse Travel for a Relaxed Summer More travellers are choosing “reverse tourism” to avoid crowds, embracing laid-back trips like drifting without paddling, bungee jumping, county-town escapes, and self-drive camping.

From celebrity travel ambassadors to evolving youth travel styles, these viral conversations across China’s top platforms reveal new insights into outbound tourism, consumer confidence, and emotional motivations behind travel. Here's a roundup of this week's hottest travel and lifestyle trends across Weibo, Douyin, and Baidu.

India Reopens Tourist Visas to Chinese Travellers After a five-year hiatus, India resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens from 24 July 2025. Search traffic for Delhi skyrocketed tenfold on Chinese travel sites, with Hong Kong–Delhi flights becoming the hottest ticket.

China’s digital platforms reveal new patterns of behaviour across travel, consumption, and generational shifts. Here’s a snapshot of trending topics with direct links to explore each in detail.

China-Malaysia Visa-Free Policy to Start 17 July A new visa waiver allows Chinese and Malaysian travellers up to 30-day stays from 17 July, facilitating short leisure, business and family visits and expected to significantly boost bilateral tourism flows.

Qingdao Travel Guide: Unmissable Summer Spots! Isn’t just crowded beaches—discover hidden gems like Little Fish Hill for panoramic views, stroll along tranquil University Road, or enjoy magical evening lights at the Third Bathing Beach. Visitor bookings have soared 60% compared to last year. Plan early!

New Flight Rules: Unsafe Power Banks Banned Starting 28 June, China’s aviation authority has banned passengers from carrying uncertified or recalled power banks on domestic flights, following several mid-air fire incidents. This comes as travel sentiment remains strong, with 69% of Chinese travellers planning 1–2 international trips over the next 12 months.

Central Asia Emerges as China’s Hot New Outbound Destination China’s outbound travel to Central Asia surged 100% YoY in H1 2025. Destinations like Uzbekistan (orders up 60%) and Kazakhstan (flights up 60%) saw a spike, especially from Urumqi, Beijing, and Xi’an. Visa waivers and group-tour access are boosting appeal, especially among retirees—but young travellers are growing fast.

New Zealand to Offer Visa-Free Entry via Australia From November, Chinese passport holders can enter New Zealand visa-free for up to three months if they arrive via Australia with a valid Australian visa. This new policy is expected to boost tourism, with 163,000 Chinese visitors forecasted over the next five months.