Beijing Tourism Statistics - How Many Visits

Page last update: 19 March 2026

Beijing remains one of the world’s most visited cities, attracting millions of tourists each year with its rich history, cultural landmarks, and modern attractions. With over 3000 years of history, China’s capital is one of the largest cities in the world.

Overview

How many tourists visit Beijing each year?

Beijing receives over 300 million visitors annually, with domestic tourism accounting for the vast majority.

In 2019, Beijing recorded a total of 322.1 million visitors, including 318.23 million domestic travellers and 3.77 million international visitors. The number of visitors dropped to 184 million in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Beijing welcomed 25.5 million visitors in 2021. In 2022, an estimated 182.3 million people visited Beijing, with international arrivals totalling just 241,000.
In 2023, Beijing saw a total of 328.5 million visitors, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 2%.

How many tourists visit Beijing daily?

On average, Beijing received approximately 900,000 visitors per day in 2023, mainly due to domestic travel.

In 2019, Beijing had an average of 880,000 visitors per day. The daily visitor count dropped to 500,000 in 2020.

How much do visitors spend in Beijing each year?

Over 584 billion RMB was spent by tourists while visiting Beijing in 2023.

In 2019, tourism revenue reached 622.5 billion RMB. However, tourism revenue declined to 291.4 billion RMB in 2020, representing a 53.2% year-on-year decrease.
In 2021, Beijing saw a partial recovery, with tourism revenue increasing to 416.6 billion RMB, reflecting a 43.0% increase from the previous year.
Tourism revenue stood at 252 billion RMB in 2022.
In 2023, tourism revenue rebounded to 584.97 billion RMB, recovering to 94% of 2019 levels.

How much do tourists spend per trip in Beijing?

In 2023, the average spending per visitor increased to 1,778 RMB, up from about 1,382 RMB in 2022, showing a clear upward trend in spending per trip.

Which countries send the most visitors to Beijing?

The United States sent the highest number of visitors to Beijing, with 629,000 travellers in 2019.

Japan ranked second, with 247,000 visitors, followed by South Korea, which had 242,000 visitors to Beijing.
Germany contributed 198,000 visitors and the United Kingdom recorded 153,000 visitors to Beijing.
In 2023, international arrivals totaled 1.2 million, with European and Asian travellers contributing the largest share.

Note: No updated data is available at this time; this will be revised once new data becomes available.

Beijing Tourism Statistics: Domestic vs. International Visitors

In 2023, international arrivals made up only 0.36% of total visits, totalling 1.2 million tourists, while domestic travellers accounted for the majority with 327.4 million visits.

Although the total number of visitors to Beijing has surpassed the pre-pandemic levels, international tourists are still 68% below 2019 international visits.

When is the best time to visit Beijing?

Beijing’s tourism follows a strong seasonal pattern:

The Chinese New Year holiday, which falls in January or February, attracts a high volume of visitors.
The May Day holiday in early May is another peak travel period in Beijing.
The summer months of July and August experience increased tourist activity due to school vacations.
The Golden Week holiday in October is one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
The winter months, particularly December and January, experience lower tourism activity, except for the Chinese New Year holiday.

What are the most visited attractions in Beijing?

The Forbidden City is one of the most visited attractions in Beijing, also known as the Palace Museum, receiving 19.3 million visitors in 2019.
The Temple of Heaven Park attracted approximately 20 million visitors annually.
The Summer Palace welcomed between 10 and 14 million visitors each year.
The Badaling section of the Great Wall recorded 9.9 million visitors in 2018.
The Universal Beijing Resort, which opened in 2021, saw 2 million visitors in its first three months of operation.

How does Beijing rank as a global tourist destination?

Beijing is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the highest number for any city worldwide.
In 2023, Beijing ranked first among Chinese cities in total tourism revenue.
Beijing is frequently listed among the top global tourist destinations due to its cultural heritage and historical significance.
The city hosted both the 2008 and 2022 Olympic Games, further enhancing its global visibility.

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Reference

BJS: Official tourism statistics and economic impact reports.
BCTB: Visitor trends, spending data, and major attraction statistics.
NBS: National tourism and economic contributions related to Beijing.
MCT: Reports on domestic vs. international tourism trends.