6 Insights on Chinese Tourism from WTM London 2026

WTM 2026’s panel on Chinese sports tourism, featuring (left to right) moderator Mingjie Wang from China Daily, Jungfrau Railway’s Remo Käser, Project M’s Christoph Eisinger, and Dragon Trail’s Sienna Parulis-Cook

With more than 40,000 trade visitors and thousands of exhibitors, WTM London is one of the travel industry’s largest annual gatherings. Dragon Trail’s Director of Marketing & Communications, Sienna Parulis-Cook attended the 2026 event as a speaker, conference advisory board member, and visitor, meeting with dozens of industry colleagues to discuss the Chinese outbound tourism market. Here are her top six takeaways on Chinese travel trends and marketing strategies in 2026.

1. The Chinese market remains coveted, diverse, and often elusive
“Essential” and “golden” were some of the words used to describe the Chinese travel market by exhibitors at WTM 2026. Everyone we met with recognized the potential of the market, but some also found it elusive – Chinese had yet to arrive at their destination in large numbers, or they could see Chinese tour groups in the streets but not in their own hotels. As the Chinese market matures, it has fragmented and diversified, creating opportunities alongside added complexity. In Brussels, there’s been a “drastic shift” from traditional tour groups to luxury-oriented FITs, says Tom Albrand, International Business Developer at Visit Brussels. Meanwhile, Titanic Belfast continues to receive large and sometimes rushed tour groups, and the LNER train between Edinburgh and London has recently seen an uptick in reservations for Chinese groups of 30 people or more. In Oman, hoteliers told us the Chinese market is primarily middle-aged couples. In Türkiye, there’s a mix of FITs and groups, as well as families traveling with young children.

2. Tourism brands need to adapt their products to match the Chinese market
This fragmentation and evolution of the Chinese tourism market means that brands need to adopt an informed and deliberate strategy when it comes to developing and adapting their products. In Istanbul, Eda Kanıbol from Pera Palace says that while staying at the hotel might be beyond the budgets of some Chinese group tours, they instead attract these groups to visit for an afternoon tea experience. On Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast, Director of Marketing at Regnum Hotels, Deniz Ustertuna understands that a typical sun-and-sea, long-stay resort experience is not the right match for the Chinese market – but he’s starting to explore the potential for golf tourism, recently receiving a 13-person golf trip from China. Titanic Belfast makes exceptions to allow Chinese tour leaders to accompany their groups to ensure language accessibility, and the attraction is considering introducing an express tour to suit Chinese tour groups’ itineraries, says Leisure Sales Manager, Terry McCartan. Other exhibitors and speakers also talked about needing to understand market preferences to offer the right product: In Oman, Chinese travelers opt for mountains over snorkeling; in Jungfrau, Switzerland they’re interested in winter hiking rather than just skiing, and want to combine winter sports experiences with food and culture; in Kaş, Türkiye, they’re drawn to historical sites rather than beaches.

Chinese brochures from Titanic Belfast

3. The Chinese student market offers potential for marketing and growth
International Development Manager at LNER, Charlotte Ives had only returned from Shanghai several days before WTM, attending a promotional event together with 14 UK universities called #NextStopBritain. The event was aimed at offer-holders, prospective students, and their families, with information and exhibits designed around the international student’s UK journey. Similarly, Sharon Scerri from the Esplora Interactive Science Experience in Malta had recently been in Beijing at an event with over 600 students. Dragon Trail also highlighted the strong potential of the Chinese student community in Europe – and particularly in the UK – at meetings and speaking events. A 2020 survey by Wonderful Copenhagen revealed that 96% of Chinese students in the UK had either been on an international city break during the period of their studies or planned to do so. Tapping into this community can deliver good ROI, attracting not just more Chinese visitors, but also consumers who will share their experience online and with visiting family and friends – delivering valuable UGC to boost visibility in the Chinese market.

4. Don’t underestimate the impact of even one flight
Exciting news: Royal Jordanian Airlines’ Area Manager for UK & Ireland, Shahin Shahin, was able to confirm a rumor that the airline is launching a direct Amman-Beijing route. Starting from Q1 2026, this will be the first direct flight between Jordan and China, operated twice per week. How much impact can two direct flights a week really have? A significant amount, said Naim Hachem, Director of Sales and Marketing at the St. Regis in Muscat, Oman – a city which got its first direct flight to China at the end of November 2025. Those two weekly flights a week can deliver up to 500 passengers, says Hachem, and he has noticed “Chinese travelers start to appear”, even with travel disruption to the region this year.

WTM London 2026 attracted at least 40,000 travel trade visitors, with thousands of exhibitors

5. Aviation and destination marketing should go hand in hand
Perhaps the biggest theme that came up at WTM London this year was the need for the aviation sector – airports and airlines – to work together with local tourism destinations and businesses to deliver mutually beneficial development. Tom Albrand explained that Visit Brussels and other Belgian DMOs are working in conjunction with Brussels Airport on a China marketing strategy that supports and takes advantage of new direct flights from Chengdu, Chongqing, and Shenzhen. In a similar collaboration, Air Canada and Destination Canada hosted a joint live stream at Dragon Trail Studios in September 2026 to announce the upcoming launch of the first direct route from Guangzhou to Vancouver next year, alongside an increase in Shanghai-Toronto flights.

6. Attracting the Chinese tourism market requires long-term thinking and patience
At a conference session about the luxury travel market, Anant Sharma argued that luxury needs to be rooted in long-term thinking rather than obsession with short-term commercial success, something he thinks is threatened by the culture of job-hopping and overemphasis on quick conversion. We also often encounter high expectations for quick wins with Chinese outbound tourism, which can lead to disappointment: when the market didn’t immediately rebound after COVID, or when a single marketing campaign or FAM trip doesn’t dramatically boost visitor numbers. But those that take a long-term approach report better results – and perhaps no destination has done this better than Switzerland. Speaking on a panel about Chinese sports tourism, Remo Käser explained how Jungfrau Railway began market entry more than 20 years ago, and the region now attracts Chinese visitors year-round. On the same Chinese sports tourism panel, Senior Consultant at Project M, Christoph Eisinger agreed that building the Chinese winter sports market in Europe requires patience. Similarly, Deniz Ustertuna shared Regnum Hotels’ experience successfully building the South Korean market from the ground up. “It takes time,” he says, now applying these learnings to his current approach to China.

Since 2009, Dragon Trail International has helped brands and businesses around the world to connect to the Chinese outbound travel market. Get in touch to create and execute your own long-term China marketing strategy, and follow us for exclusive insights on Chinese travelers, the Chinese travel trade, and must-know marketing trends.