Upswing in Chinese corporate outbound travel

Driven by the need to manage overseas operations and coordinate supply chains, cross-border business travel by Chinese enterprises is gaining momentum, a new industry report shows.

Corporate outbound travel bookings have grown by more than 30 percent annually for three consecutive years since post-Covid international travel resumed in 2023, according to the 2025-2026 Business Travel Management Market White Paper released by Trip.Biz, the business travel arm of Trip.com Group.

The report points to a shift in the nature of business travel — moving from early-stage market exploration to supporting day-to-day operations — reflecting a more mature phase of Chinese companies going global.

"This is no longer simply a recovery in international travel," said Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

"What we are seeing now is a structural trend tied to the globalization of Chinese companies," he said. "As firms go global through both trade and investment, they require more frequent travel for project implementation, operational management and supply-chain coordination."

Zhou said trade and investment have become the two main drivers behind rising cross-border mobility, noting that deeper economic cooperation between China and partner countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative has strengthened commercial ties and increased business mobility.

The shift is also reflected in where Chinese business travelers are heading. While North America and Western Europe were once dominant, demand is increasingly tilting toward emerging markets in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, the report shows.

Vietnam stood out in 2025, rising from fifth to second place among the most popular destinations for Chinese corporate travelers, with booking volumes doubling year-on-year. Industrial hubs such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have become key bases as Chinese manufacturers set up factories, register local entities and manage regional supply chains.

By sector, manufacturing remains the largest source of outbound travel demand, followed by research and technology and financial services. Strong growth has also been seen in sectors such as catering and capital markets, where Chinese consumer brands and cross-border financing activities are expanding abroad, the report stated.

Smaller firms are also accelerating their global push. In 2025, the number of small and medium-sized enterprises making outbound business trips rose 31 percent year-on-year, while their outbound travel bookings surged 78 percent, according to the report.

Policy support has reinforced the trend. In early 2025, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology introduced measures to support SMEs in expanding their international presence, integrating into global supply chains and enhancing their competitiveness on the global stage.

The evolving travel pattern also reflects a broader shift in how Chinese companies operate abroad. Outbound investment requires extensive preparation due to higher risks, including due diligence in host countries, Zhou said. Once projects are established, ongoing travel is needed for supply chain management, operations and after-sales services.

"The growth of these needs means companies require stable business travel support as they go global," he said, adding that the trend is likely to continue as Chinese firms deepen their presence across emerging markets.

"As China's trade and investment ties with these economies grow, the level of interdependence is also increasing," he added. "Business travel will continue to expand alongside that process."

The report also highlights practical challenges as outbound travel scales up. In 2025, key issues shifted from policy design to on-the-ground execution, particularly in overseas payment and settlement, invoice management and round-the-clock support across time zones.

Uncertainty remains a key challenge. International flight disruption rates stand at about 24 percent, compared with 17 percent for domestic routes, while 59 percent of international hotels do not offer free cancellation policies. Of those non-refundable bookings, only about a quarter can be successfully canceled.

To address these risks, the company has introduced a policy to cover hotel cancellation costs if employees are unable to check in due to flight disruptions or transfer delays, helping reduce losses from unexpected itinerary changes.

Trip.Biz served more than 28,000 Chinese companies expanding overseas in 2025, including nearly 25,000 SMEs, covering about 440,000 employees across 206 countries and regions.

lijing2009@chinadaily.com.cn