Going solo: what the “new” Chinese tourist wants

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Drum Tower

2025-09-09

33 分钟
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Since the mid-2000s, when China first allowed tourist visas, its holiday-makers have become synonymous with coach trips, cameras and shopping sprees. But look around the capital cities of Europe today and something is different. Gone are the tour guides, strict schedules and matching hats. Instead Chinese travellers are striking out on their own. What kinds of experiences are they seeking and what does it reveal about China? Joel Budd, The Economist's social affairs editor joins Jiehao Chen, China researcher and Drum Tower producer, on a trip around the UK to find out where these “new” tourists are going and why.  Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.
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  • The Economist.

  • I just feel like the British Museum, it's like a river of human culture.

  • So it's just like you can take a boat.

  • You could just walk around it and like you're taking a boat to travel through the the civilization.

  • That's Jahan, a Chinese woman in her early 30s who I met on a windy late summer afternoon outside the British Museum.

  • Over the noise of a nearby construction site,

  • Jahan told me about her European honeymoon, on which London is the first stop.

  • My husband coffee in England is not that good.

  • So he's very looking forward to trying coffee in Italy.

  • And I don't agree with him because I just think it's because maybe the coffee in is not his taste.

  • Queuing amongst tired commuters for a latte may not be the first image that comes to mind

  • when you think about Chinese tourists in London.

  • You might imagine packed coaches, color-coordinated hats and shopping sprees at designer outlets.

  • But Jahan represents a new kind of Chinese visitor.

  • She's young, well-educated and more interested in experiencing the real Britain than simply taking off landmarks.

  • And she's not alone.

  • I'm Jiehao Chen, The Economist China researcher and Drum Tower producer.

  • And this week, I'm joined by Joel Bud, our social affairs editor.

  • We'll visit some Chinese tourist hotspots in the UK and ask, what are Chinese travelers looking for?

  • And what does it tell us about China today?