(Yicai) April 30 -- Trip.Com Group plans to attract 200 million overseas tourists to China in the next five years, helping the Asian country become the world's largest inbound tourism market, according to the chairman of the Chinese online travel agency.

As Asian tourists already make up a large share of foreign tourists visiting China, Trip.Com will aim to attract more European travelers by making hefty investments in that market to promote Chinese tourism brands and services, James Liang told Yicai in an interview yesterday.

Shanghai-based Trip.Com brought in 20 million overseas tourists to China last year, with an average stay of 6.1 days, Liang said. They spent 40 percent more than in 2024, benefiting 150,000 hotels, scenic spots, and travel agencies.

Liang said Trip.Com’s strategy includes setting up promotional booths at major global airports to publicize China’s visa-free policies and tourist attractions, inviting influential travel bloggers to visit the country, experiencing its tourism products and sharing their experiences on social media, as well as appointing movie star Jackie Chan as a brand ambassador for Chinese culture.

From an economic perspective, inbound tourism will become a key growth driver for China’s economy over the next five to 10 years, Liang said, as it not only generates direct tourism revenue but also drives exports of related service industries such as healthcare and education.

With China continuously expanding its visa-free policy for inbound travelers after the Covid-19 pandemic, inbound tourism has grown strongly in recent years. Last year, the country welcomed 35.2 million overseas visitors, a 31 percent increase from 2024, according to official data.

China still faces some constraints on inbound tourism development, Liang said. These include the lack of multilingual services and diverse payment methods, along with foreign tourists still not knowing enough about China, he said.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Futura Costaglione