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Chinese Travellers Flock to Central Asia as Flight Bookings Soar 120% on Pre-Covid Levels
🇨🇳 China /Health & Science

Chinese Travellers Flock to Central Asia as Flight Bookings Soar 120% on Pre-Covid Levels

From South China Morning Post · (7m ago) English Positive tone

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Central Asia is rapidly emerging as a key destination for Chinese travelers, with flight bookings soaring 120% above pre-Covid levels.
  • Passenger traffic to the region grew 59.3% in 2025 compared to the previous year, showing one of the fastest growth rates globally.
  • Factors driving this surge include expanding air links, deeper economic ties under the Belt and Road Initiative, business travel, and VFR traffic, making demand more stable than traditional markets like North America and Europe where flight capacity has yet to fully recover.

Central Asia, once a relatively niche destination, is experiencing a dramatic surge in popularity among Chinese travelers, marking a significant shift in regional tourism and travel patterns. Data reveals a staggering 120% increase in flight bookings to the region compared to pre-pandemic levels, underscoring its growing appeal.

This robust growth is further evidenced by a 59.3% year-on-year increase in passenger traffic in 2025, positioning Central Asia as one of the fastest-growing travel markets globally. Analysts at OAG Aviation highlight this trend, noting that the demand is "possibly underappreciated" at present but poised for even greater significance.

travel demand between Central Asian countries and China would be more significant in the near future and was “possibly underappreciated” at present.

— Mayur PatelCommercial and industry affairs leader for Asia-Pacific at OAG Aviation, commenting on the growing travel demand.

The expansion of air connectivity, coupled with deepening economic ties fostered by China's Belt and Road Initiative, serves as a powerful catalyst. Beyond tourism, these routes are sustained by a healthy mix of business travel, trade, educational exchanges, and visits from friends and relatives (VFR). This diversified demand provides a stability that contrasts sharply with the slower recovery seen in some traditional markets like North America and Europe, where flight capacity remains significantly below 2019 levels.

While Southeast Asia and East Asia have long been preferred by Chinese tourists, Central Asia's rise signifies a broadening of horizons. This burgeoning interest is a direct outcome of over a decade of China's strategic investment and influence-building efforts in the region, leading to enhanced cultural and commercial exchanges. For China, this trend reflects a successful outward-looking strategy, leveraging its economic power to foster deeper connections and open new avenues for its citizens to explore and engage with neighboring territories.

[Along with tourism], these routes are also supported by business travel, trade links, government exchanges, education and VFR (visiting friends and relatives) traffic, which makes demand more stable.

— Subramania BhattCEO of the travel marketing and technology firm China Trading Desk, explaining the stability of travel demand.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by South China Morning Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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