Pacific Island Countries Strengthen Ties with China at SPTE 2025

The Chinese Pacific Island Countries Tourism Exchange session, held during the South Pacific Tourism Exchange (SPTE) 2025, marked a milestone in deepening engagement between the Pacific region and one of the world’s most dynamic outbound travel markets—China.

With presentations from National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) across the Pacific, the session provided market insights, explored promotional opportunities, and showcased the region’s commitment to long-term tourism growth with Chinese travellers.

Key Highlights from the session: Chinese outbound travel is characterized by short-haul dominance, long-haul growth, and diversified expansion. While 72.82% of Chinese outbound trips are to Asia, long-haul markets such as Europe (10.65%), North America (8.91%), and Oceania (3.21%) are steadily growing. The Pacific is well-positioned to capture this growth. The proposed Pacific Island Countries Tourism Alliance Brand aims to strategically target Chinese travellers through coordinated campaigns, shared data, and collaborative promotional content. PICs can lower individual marketing costs and amplify their collective voice in China by joining forces.

“Each destination offers something special,” said Pacific Tourism Organisation Chief Executive Officer Christopher Cocker. “By working together under a unified brand, we can introduce Chinese travellers to the wonders of our Blue Pacific in an impactful, memorable, and sustainable way.

With collaborative momentum building, the Chinese-Pacific Tourism Exchange session reaffirmed the importance of partnership, shared vision, and tailored engagement in unlocking the vast potential of this flourishing market.