China is among the countries with the highest travel willingness by sightseers this summer, with more travelers opting for trips that could provide in-depth travel experiences and personalized value, according to a survey issued on Tuesday by several companies including Allianz Partners.

Global travel willingness remains elevated at 74 percent, and notably, Chinese travelers exhibit a stronger intention, with 81 percent expressing eagerness to travel. The survey covered 10 major global markets including China, France, Germany, the US, the UK, and India, aiming to provide an in-depth analysis of global consumers' travel preferences and behavioral trends.

The survey result shows that 59 percent of Chinese tourists prefer to travel within the country this summer.

With regards to outbound travel, neighboring countries and Europe are the most popular destinations, with 18 percent and 14 percent of Chinese tourists opting for the two places, followed by other parts of Asia at 10 percent, North America at 7 percent, the Middle East and Africa at 5 percent, Oceania at 4 percent, and South America at 3 percent.

The fact that 59 percent of Chinese travelers choose to travel within the country is rational choice in face of geopolitical and global economic uncertainty, Wang Li, the Managing Director for Allianz Partners in China, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"The core customer base for China's outbound travel remains stable. And we expect that from the second half of 2026 to 2027, with the recovery of international flight routes and further visa facilitation, outbound travel will experience a phased recovery characterized by 'starting from nearby destinations and expanding to farther ones.' The market is projected to further rebound in 2027," Wang said.

Meanwhile, a significant change among Chinese tourists is that they put more emphasis on in-depth travel, which could provide them with more extensive experiences and meaningful memories.

According to the survey, 76 percent of Chinese travelers enhance their trips by developing personal hobbies and engaging in sports. And, 75 percent of the travelers are eager to attend concerts and live performances, and 69 percent prefer to blend work with leisure to prolong their vacations. Furthermore, wellness experiences and watching sports events have also emerged as popular options for the summer vocations.

"Tourism serves as an internal driving force for upgrading China's consumption structure. Chinese travelers' strong interest in enriched experiences — including hobbies, sports, concerts, wellness, sports events, and work-leisure integration — indicates that travel has evolved far beyond traditional sightseeing and has become a vital part of contemporary lifestyle," Wang said.

"We are confident that tourism — especially high-quality domestic trips and the steadily recovery of outbound travel — will become a key engine for China's consumption and high-quality economic development," she said.

During the 2026 May Day holiday, China's cultural and tourism market sustained stable expansion, with domestic trips and total spending both registering year-on-year growth.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that a total of 325 million domestic trips were made across the country during the May 1-5 period, representing a 3.6-percent increase from the same period last year. And domestic tourism expenditure reached 185.49 billion yuan ($27.08 billion), up 2.9 percent year-on-year, the ministry said.