European tourism boards are rethinking how they connect with travellers and who tells their stories as Chinese outbound travel to Europe rebounds after the pandemic. With tourists from China increasingly seeking independent, immersive, and experience-driven journeys, destinations are learning to balance creativity, data, and authenticity in a social media ecosystem that has grown far more complex.
China’s outbound travel market is firmly back on track. International trips from the Chinese mainland are projected to reach 155 million by the end of 2025, according to Dragon Trail Research — a sign that the world’s largest source of outbound travellers has almost fully recovered. But what inspires these travellers, and how best to reach them, has changed.
“European destinations had to totally rethink their content strategies during COVID-19, and in the early period after reopening when Chinese arrivals were slower than expected,” said Gary Bowerman, director of Check-in Asia, a consultancy specialising in the Asia-Pacific region. “Now, the competition to engage Chinese tourists of all ages is fierce — especially as flight capacities between Chinese and European cities have significantly improved — and Chinese social channels are saturated with travel content.”
To stand out, Bowerman said, destinations must conduct meticulous research to brief influencers or key opinion leaders, who can create content that resonates with how Chinese tourists wish to travel “in the moment”.
He believes promoters of tourist destinations need to think more like film directors than advertisers, creating emotional touchpoints that inspire authentic storytelling. “Travel marketers have to design experiential ‘trigger moments’ that allow creators to tell vivid, real-life stories,” he said.
Austria has embraced this new direction by highlighting nature, wellness, and outdoor recreation — themes that align strongly with post-pandemic Chinese travel interests.
“During the past years, we have observed that the desire for physical and psychological wellbeing has gained weight in our target group in China,” said Emanuel Lehner-Telic, head of markets Asia-Pacific at Austria Tourism. “Nature as an area of relaxation and recharging batteries after a stressful daily life has become more and more important.”
Maria Llinares, former tourism counsellor at Spain’s embassy in China, said Chinese travellers are seeking “indepth knowledge of destinations and more personalised inspiration”.
Spain’s global campaign — “Think You Know Spain? Think Again” — focuses on slow travel and lesser-known destinations, promoting experiences that go beyond the traditional tourist circuit.
“We place greater emphasis on voices genuinely connected with Spain, such as Chinese influencers living here who can transmit passion and insider knowledge,” Llinares said.
One standout campaign featured Shanghai influencer Fu Daye, who joined a mountain trail race in the Pyrenees.
“In 2023, there were no Chinese participants; in 2024, after his campaign, there were 200,” Llinares said. “It showed how authentic storytelling linked to sports, nature and off-season travel can resonate strongly.”
The United Kingdom, meanwhile, is also redefining its influencer strategy to compete in the revived China market. Patricia Yates, chief executive of VisitBritain, said China remains one of the UK’s most valuable inbound markets, forecast to be worth £1.1 billion in visitor spending this year.
Chinese travellers, she said, are more experience-driven and rely heavily on social media to find inspiration from influencers and fellow travellers. “To compete for Chinese visitors, we must use the powerful reach of social media — and our work with influencers is a central part of this.”
VisitBritain has seen a shift towards independent travel, particularly among Gen Z, or people born between 1995 and 2010, the first “digital native” generation.
“Instead of following a fixed itinerary, visitors now tend to explore based on their own interests, with influencers and social media providing inspiration,” Yates said.
She pointed to the recent popularity of Canterbury, which went viral on Xiaohongshu earlier this year as a “storybook town”.
To attract more visitors, VisitBritain is also tapping into the global appeal of British film and television, which are powerful motivators for travel.
“Our research shows that of those Chinese travellers considering visiting the UK, 96 per cent would be interested in visiting film and TV locations during their trip,” Yates said.
