Q4 2025 marks a shift from “rebound” to routine in China outbound travel—yet travellers still commit late, so competitive advantage moves upstream. Social content is now a conversion lever (65% say promos on Xiaohongshu/Douyin make them more likely to shop), while price comparison is near-universal (98%). Trust still closes the deal (75% value staff assistance), making “shortlist → checkout” the new battleground.

China Trading Desk (CTD) has released findings from its Q4 2025 China Outbound Travel Survey, showing that 64.4% of Chinese outbound travellers are likely or very likely to shop at the airport. While the report confirms airport retail as mainstream behaviour, it also identifies a large, commercially decisive swing segment.

Social platforms play a significant role in shaping airport shopping intent. Airport shopping has become a mainstream part of the outbound travel journey for Chinese consumers, but converting interest into actual spend is increasingly an execution challenge rather than an awareness one, according to new research from China Trading Desk (CTD).

Japan drops from #2 to #7 for Chinese travellers as warnings and cancelled flights bite. Meanwhile, Asia leads and booking windows get shorter.

Strict flight rules and economic headwinds are forcing scrutiny-wary tycoons to rebase aircraft in places such as Singapore or downgrade to commercial cabins

“The weaker won has made South Korea a better-value destination for Chinese travellers at the same time Japan has become politically ‘expensive’,” said Subramania Bhatt, CEO of the travel marketing and technology firm China Trading Desk.

South Korea has now moved into the top spot as the most popular overseas destination for Chinese travelers on several major platforms, with strong demand for Seoul and Jeju," Bhatt told China Daily.

China bookings for Osaka-bound for winter and early spring departures are down 55% to 65% — a sharper drop than the nationwide average, with Kansai International Airport carrying a disproportionate share of cancellations, according to China Trading Desk “What started as a year-end shock is now bleeding into next year,” said Subramania Bhatt, chief executive of China Trading Desk. “That suggests expectations are in free fall and many travelers are no longer treating this as

In an exclusive column for DFNI, Subramania Bhatt, Chief Executive Officer of China Trading Desk, looks at the impact of the current strain on China and Japan’s diplomatic relations on travel retail, and why an “accelerated rebalancing” is in order