Gloria Guevara, WTTC president and CEO (Photo: Li Xuanmin/GT)
"We should have brought more empty suitcases," Gloria Guevara, WTTC president and CEO, told the Global Times on Wednesday, recalling a recent family trip to China that ended with extra baggage fees after extensive shopping.
During a 10-day visit last year, Guevara and her family traveled to cities including Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xi'an, as well as smaller destinations such as Wuzhen in Zhejiang Province, where they took boat rides and picked tea leaves in traditional dress.
Guevara said the trip left them wanting more. "Ten days was not enough. We hope to return soon," she said, adding that Hainan and other regions are on their list.
Guevara's latest travel experiences in China reflect the broader trend that China's inbound tourism market is embracing: international tourists are showing growing interest not only in visiting the country, but also in what Guevara said truly "discovering" China - connecting with its culture, meeting locals, enjoying authentic cuisine, and immersing themselves in genuine experiences.
Many of these travelers have been sharing their journeys on social media, turning "China Travel" into a popular buzzword.
According to the 2026 trend report on foreign tourism in China released by Xiaohongshu in April, international travelers are broadening their travel footprints beyond China's first-tier cities to embrace more distinctive regional destinations. High-speed rail, cycling and hiking have become their favored ways to explore county-level areas across the country.
Guevara said that if current trends continue, China's accelerated expansion in the tourism sector will place the country firmly on track to become the world's leading travel and tourism economy. "The combination of culture, history, gastronomy, excellent infrastructure, and ease of movement within the country will drive a significant increase in international travelers from all over the world," she explained.
Looking ahead to the next decade, China still has huge potential to grow in international travel. At the same time, international travelers will exhibit a very high repeat visit rate, as China is vast and every region - as well as every small town - offers a distinctly different character and experience. This diversity will encourage tourists to return year after year to discover something new, she noted.
A report released by the WTTC on Wednesday showed that China welcomed more than 68 million international visitors last year, a 15.5 percent year-on-year increase, nearly three times the global growth rate of 5.4 percent, while international visitor spending rose by 10.5 percent to $135 billion, significantly outperforming the global average growth rate of 3.2 percent.
Last year, the country recorded an additional 9 million arrivals compared with 2024, the largest increase globally, according to the WTTC report titled "New 2026 Economic Impact Research data." It noted that arrivals from visa-exempt markets have grown fivefold since 2020.
A foreign tourist records with a Chinese-brand pocket camera at the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing, capital of China, May 2, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)
According to Guevara, this impressive growth in international tourists is partly driven by supportive government policies, including expanded visa facilitation measures that cover more than 50 countries, improved tax-free shopping and tax refund policies, and initiatives that create a smoother and more seamless travel experience.
"China is implementing almost all the policies needed to unlock its full potential in travel and tourism," Guevara said. According to her, while many countries take tourism for granted, lacking long-term plans and sufficient investment, China has made it a national priority. This is evident in its massive investments in airports, high-speed rail stations, and infrastructure, along with comprehensive long-term planning that serves both domestic and international travelers.
"The development of new experiences and robust promotional efforts is precisely what the global private sector has been looking for," she said, while pointing to the large-scale development of new tourism zones, cultural attractions and theme parks, which is diversifying China's tourism offerings and reinforcing its global competitiveness.
The report released by the WTTC predicted that China's tourism industry would expand 5.3 percent in 2026, with an average annual growth rate of 6.5 percent over the next decade. By 2036, the sector is expected to nearly double in size to $3.5 trillion.