Small and medium-sized enterprises are driving market growth
In 2025, China’s business travel market hit a turning point: travelers from companies with fewer than 500 employees became the majority, jumping from 30.8% to 62.8%. The client base is shifting from large enterprises to a more fragmented SME-led market—bringing higher price sensitivity, faster decision-making, and stronger expectations for quick service response.
International travel budgets are being prioritized
In 2025, 52.0% of Chinese companies increased international travel frequency. For 2026, international budgets show stronger priority than domestic:
● “Significant increase” plans: international 12.9% vs domestic 8.1%
● “Slight decrease” plans: international 29.0% vs domestic 35.5%
This suggests companies are more willing to preserve flexibility or invest in overseas trips even while cutting overall spend.
For TMCs: growth opportunity, but pressure remains
● Costs rising: Over 60% of TMCs report higher overseas airfare and hotel prices; “significant increases” reached 14.8% (air) and 18.2% (hotel).
● Integration complexity: Cross-border sourcing and operational coordination remain major hurdles.
● Margins squeezed: Over 40% cite intensifying competition and shrinking profits as the top pressure; the most common direct impact is customer loss to cheaper competitors. Nearly 70% also face ongoing client price cuts and budget tightening.
In 2026, how will TMCs adapt to fragmentation, cost pressure, and cross-border complexity? Let’s look forward to the answers together.
If you want more insights on China’s business travel trends, changes, and opportunities:
2026 TravelDaily Conference will be held on September 22–23 at the Shanghai International Convention Center, bringing together leading travel companies, experienced industry experts, and corporate travel managers to share the latest market developments.
Register before May 31 to get an early-bird discount of USD 1,000 per ticket.
Contact: xenia@traveldaily.cn
Click the link to learn more about the event：2026 TravelDaily Conference & Digital Travel Show
