Chinese Firms Confront Booking Challenges as Overseas Business Travel Surges

 

According to the 2025 Q1 China Business Travel Market Trend Insight Report, nearly 56% of Chinese enterprises are either expanding their business overseas or planning to do so. Nearly **30% of travel management companies (TMCs) have seen 30%-50% of their clients begin international travel, signaling a robust growth in global business travel.

While China’s business travel market has bounced back strongly post-COVID, leading the world with a market size surpassing $370 billion, Chinese companies are facing unique challenges in navigating international business travel.

These obstacles are especially relevant as China’s corporate travel demand continues to surge, raising concerns about navigating the complexities of overseas travel logistics. At the 2025 TravelDaily Digital Intelligence Conference (Beijing Edition), Baichuan Hu, Channel Operations Director at Huizhi International Travel, discussed these challenges in his keynote address, “Innovative Supply Chain Solutions: Empowering a New Business Travel Experience.”

Key Challenges in Overseas Business Travel

1. Information Opacity
   One of the main challenges faced by Chinese firms when booking international business travel is the opacity of information available. Booking hotels and accommodations abroad can be tricky for employees and TMC operators, who often lack detailed insights and clear access to comprehensive inventory. Compared to domestic bookings, where companies are familiar with the local market, there is a greater sense of uncertainty when selecting overseas options. This limited visibility makes companies exercise heightened caution and seek additional guidance when selecting international hotels or services.
2. Volatile Hotel Pricing
   Hotel pricing for international corporate travelers is another key issue. In some off-the-beaten-path overseas destinations, hotel options are limited, and prices are highly volatile. The pricing inconsistency is often exacerbated by incomplete or unverified hotel listings across booking platforms, leading to confusion and frustration for businesses trying to plan international trips. These price surges create challenges for companies trying to manage their travel budgets while ensuring comfort and reliability for their employees.
3. Unmet Long-Stay Accommodation Needs
   A third major concern is the lack of suitable long-term accommodations for business travelers on extended overseas projects. For stays lasting 3 to 12 months, many companies seek apartment-style accommodations that include kitchens and the flexibility to accommodate employees’ personal habits, such as cooking. Standard travel systems or online travel agencies (OTAs) typically fail to meet these demands, leaving companies to either compromise on quality or seek alternatives that are more time-consuming and expensive.

The Future of Chinese Outbound Corporate Travel

While the challenges of booking overseas business travel are clear, the growth of China’s outbound corporate travel sector shows no signs of slowing down. As more Chinese enterprises expand internationally, addressing these pain points will become crucial. The need for more tailored travel solutions, better information transparency, and reliable pricing will be critical to support the increasing demand for international business travel.

To navigate these challenges, Chinese companies and TMCs are turning to innovative supply chain solutions to streamline booking processes, improve communication, and offer customized travel options. In the future, these solutions will likely play a key role in empowering a more efficient and seamless business travel experience.

For more insights on the challenges and opportunities in global business travel, visit resources from the China National Tourism Administration and other related government websites.

Tags: China’s outbound corporate travel sector,   China business travel market,   Trend Insight Report