Number of visitors to the U.S. from China 2005-2029

 In 2024, approximately 1.6 million visitors from China arrived in the United States, representing a significant increase from the previous year. Before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, around 2.83 million arrivals were recorded for the year 2019.

Tourism in the United States

In 2024, the United States had more than 72 million international visitors, where the majority of visitors to the United States came from the North American countries Canada and Mexico, with China being the fourth biggest source of Asian tourists, after India, Japan, and South Korea. However, in terms of travel spending in the United States, in 2023, Chinese tourists were estimated to have spent more than any other Asian country, explaining the increasingly important role played by Chinese tourists among other international tourists.

Outbound tourism from China

In the past decade, the number of outbound Chinese tourists has soared threefold, with the vast majority of trips being made for private purpose. The United States was one of the popular international travel destinations among Chinese a few years back, despite Thailand, Japan, and Vietnam still being very popular potentially due to the shorter distance to travel. Chinese tourists also became more willing to spend when they travel. The share of outbound tourism expenditure in China’s GDP exceeded two percent for several years before the coronavirus pandemic.