Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in China

China: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes was 6.28 million trips in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
6.28 million trips
Change on year
up 2.2%
World rank
5th
of 175 countries
All-time high
6.96 million trips
in 2007
All-time low
2.90 million trips
in 2003
Years of data
18
2002–2019

Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in China, 2002–2019

02.0M4.0M6.0M2002201020192002: 3.2M trips2003: 2.9M trips2004: 3.9M trips2005: 4.6M trips2006: 5.5M trips2007: 7.0M trips2008: 5.7M trips2009: 5.2M trips2010: 6.2M trips2011: 6.3M trips2012: 6.3M trips2013: 6.2M trips2014: 5.4M trips2015: 5.4M trips2016: 5.8M trips2017: 5.7M trips2018: 6.1M trips2019: 6.3M trips

Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in trips.

Analysis

In 2019, arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in China stood at 6.28 million trips.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 20.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in China peaked at 6.96 million trips in 2007 and was at its lowest, 2.90 million trips, in 2003.

That places China 5th out of 175 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.

Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in China, year by year

Annual values for Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in China, 2002 to 2019.
Year trips Change
2002 3.22 million trips —
2003 2.90 million trips -9.9%
2004 3.86 million trips +33.0%
2005 4.60 million trips +19.1%
2006 5.55 million trips +20.7%
2007 6.96 million trips +25.5%
2008 5.68 million trips -18.4%
2009 5.24 million trips -7.8%
2010 6.20 million trips +18.3%
2011 6.33 million trips +2.1%
2012 6.28 million trips -0.7%
2013 6.19 million trips -1.4%
2014 5.40 million trips -12.9%
2015 5.38 million trips -0.4%
2016 5.80 million trips +7.8%
2017 5.70 million trips -1.7%
2018 6.15 million trips +7.9%
2019 6.28 million trips +2.2%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 6.28 million trips is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 106,300 trips, 59.1× the median. (49 countries reporting)
  • China's 6.28 million trips is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 45,214 trips, 139.0× the median. (32 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4.75 million trips 2.90 million trips 6.96 million trips 8
2010s 5.97 million trips 5.38 million trips 6.33 million trips 10

Countries ranked near China

  1. 2 Italy 11.25 million trips compare
  2. 3 Russia 7.52 million trips compare
  3. 4 United Kingdom 6.93 million trips compare
  4. 6 Spain 5.25 million trips compare
  5. 7 Poland 3.89 million trips compare
  6. 8 United Arab Emirates 3.75 million trips compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in China?
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in China was 6.28 million trips in 2019, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 6.96 million trips in 2007.
What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 2.90 million trips in 2003.
How does China rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes?
China ranks 5th out of 175 countries with data for 2019.
Is arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes in China. Statizoid, drawing on UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/international-trips-for-business-and-professional-reasons/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for business purposes
Unit
trips
Source
UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
175 places, 3,919 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed

Number of international trips where the main purpose is business-related and the visitor stays overnight.