An expansion of visa-free entry, the buildout of transportation networks and growing travel interest within China’s borders – including among budget-conscious citizens – are positioning the country to become the world’s top tourism market, analysts said.China’s travel sector, valued at US$1.8 trillion last year, could reach US$3.5 trillion by 2036, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) trade association said in its 2026 Economic Impact Research report released on June 3. The United States’ tourism market, currently the world’s largest, came to US$2.63 trillion last year, according to the report.The council calculated that more than 68 million international visitors entered the country last year, up 15.5 per cent from 2024, and said that travel throughout China is undergoing an “accelerated expansion”.Spending by international visitors is also growing, the council said, and rose by 10.5 per cent last year to US$135 billion, above global average growth of 3.2 per cent. The WTTC predicted that international tourism spending would increase to US$138.4 billion this year and could grow another 4.6 per cent by 2036.At this rate, the council said, China is “firmly on track to become the world’s leading travel and tourism economy in the coming years if current trends continue”.Several factors are contributing to this growth in consumer appetite. Beijing’s expanded and extended visa-free travel scheme, first announced in 2023 and covering citizens of over 50 countries, is a key driver of inbound travel growth, said Sienna Parulis-Cook, a director at the travel marketing firm Dragon Trail International.Foreign tourists visit Qilou Old Street in Haikou, in China’s southern island province of Hainan on May 9. Photo: Xinhua