Thailand’s safety rating among Chinese travelers is now lower than it was during Covid, according to Dragon Trail’s latest Chinese Traveler Sentiment Report shared exclusively with Skift.

While most regions enjoy steadily improving safety ratings, Southeast Asia stands out for its decline, according to the report.

More than half of Chinese respondents now consider Thailand “unsafe,” up sharply from 38% in spring 2024. Vietnam and Cambodia also register among the lowest safety scores, as fears over organized crime dampen traveler enthusiasm.

“The ‘unsafe’ rating keeps spiking following highly publicized incidents of crime impacting Chinese people in Thailand,” Sienna Parulis‑Cook, Dragon Trail’s director of marketing and communications, told Skift.

Safety reigns supreme in Chinese outbound travel planning. Around 41% of survey participants identified it as their top concern, far outpacing cuisine (23%) and accommodation (21%). 

“Sometimes major incidents can throw this off a little – for example, Japan’s rating got a little bit worse in late 2023/early 2024 following an issue with Japan releasing wastewater from Fukushima and a subsequent ban on Japanese seafood in China, but they’ve recovered since then.”

Travelers are not simply reacting to headlines, they’re looking to authorities for guidance. Over half of the respondents said that travel safety assessments from Chinese authorities help them feel secure, and many of them want destination governments to launch proactive safety initiatives. More than one-fourth cited reassurance from social media.

Northeast Asia Holds Its Appeal

Despite Southeast Asia’s setback, interest by Chinese travelers in other regions is thriving. In a first since Dragon Trail began measuring interest by region in 2023, Northeast Asia has overtaken Europe as the most coveted region.

Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong now lead wish lists. Japan has been the Chinese tourism hotspot since last spring, said Parulis-Cook. She attributed the surge in popularity to the weak Japanese yen. From this year onwards, Japan has also simplified the visa application process for Chinese visitors, making it even more accessible and appealing as a destination. 

“At the same time, South Korea is also starting to roll out visa simplification for Chinese visitors later this year, and they’ve also had a beneficial exchange rate lately,” she said.

Europe’s appeal, while still strong, has softened. Only 19% of respondents plan to visit the region in 2025, down from 27% a year ago. Oceania, Latin America, and Africa are also experiencing surges in interest, with Africa posting the largest year-on-year gain of almost 15%.

Dragon Trail reports this survey as delivering the highest share of respondents expressing outbound travel interest since December 2022, evidence that the overall recovery remains robust, even if Southeast Asia must fight to restore confidence.

The U.S. Blip

The U.S.-related findings from the survey are also interesting. For the first time since the survey started asking about destination safety, more respondents said they now view the U.S. as “safe,” even as a sizable 39% remain unsure. 

However, Parulis‑Cook said that the report is based on a survey conducted from March 12-18, and tensions have increased since then with the announcement of new tariffs and escalating rhetoric.   

The Chinese government issued an official safety warning earlier this month that advised citizens to reconsider plans to travel to the U.S.

“We’ll have to see how perceptions of travel to the U.S. continue to evolve in future surveys, but it’s a shame that the image of the U.S. had just crossed that threshold from more “unsafe” to more “safe” finally,” Parulis‑Cook said. 

Chinese travelers’ journeys increasingly begin and end on social platforms. Social media now surpasses all other sources of travel inspiration, with Xiaohongshu (RedNote) leading among younger demographics. For travelers aged 18-34, the platform has overtaken traditional online travel agencies as the go-to source for destination research.

Nearly all travelers share their experiences online, mostly through WeChat Moments, Xiaohongshu, and Douyin. This user-generated content not only shapes peer perceptions but also reinforces or contradicts formal safety messaging from governments and media.

How Chinese Travelers Approach Sustainability

The survey also highlights that while sustainable travel matters to Chinese tourists with 43% of travelers reporting that they have engaged in sustainable travel practices — their approach may slightly differ from Western paradigms. 

For Chinese tourists, sustainable travel involves reducing waste by avoiding disposable items: such as single‑use toiletries and plastic water bottles, and choosing public transportation over taxis. 

In China, sustainability ties closely with supporting the economic and cultural wellbeing of local communities, rather than focusing on reducing carbon emissions. 

Chinese travelers also said they are willing to pay extra for eco‑friendly options — 79% said they would, though most cap their premium at around 5%. The challenge: nearly half of respondents report that sustainable offerings lack clear labels, and 44% say they don’t know where to find them.