China International Travel Service

What China International Travel Service does

China International Travel Service Co., Ltd. (CITS) is China's largest state-owned travel agency, founded in 1954 and headquartered in Beijing. The company serves international tourists visiting China, corporate and MICE clients, special-interest travelers, and B2B tour-operator partners through a globally distributed service network. Its portfolio spans packaged tours (group, private, themed — including Silk Road, Yangtze Cruise, Tibet/Xizang, Panda, Trans-Siberian, and a 2026-launched Wenchang Rocket Launch Watch), city tours across major Chinese destinations, Chinese Visa Application Services operated through centers in Europe/Asia/Oceania/North America, and meetings/incentives/conferences/event services. The firm is publicly listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE:601888) and acquired Hainan Duty-free Co., Ltd. in May 2020, extending its footprint into duty-free retail.

CITS runs a multi-language web platform (cits.net) available in English, German, French, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, and Italian, supporting tailor-made trip requests, tour browsing, and online visa submissions. Regional departments (Russia/East Europe, German-speaking, Italian, French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, Japan/Korea, Asia/Africa, North America/Oceania, UK/English-speaking) handle B2B relationships with foreign tour operators. The company employs 251-500 staff and reports a worldwide member-agency network.

Revenue is generated through transaction fees on tour package sales, professional service fees on visa processing and MICE engagements, and transaction fees on accommodation and transportation reservations. Pricing is quote-based with no publicly disclosed standard rate card; customers submit tailor-made trip requests or contact via phone/email to receive customized quotes. Go-to-market combines a direct-to-consumer website, regional B2B field-sales teams, and the global visa-center footprint.

Name

China International Travel Service

Legal name

China International Travel Service Co., Ltd.

Website

https://cits.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

China International Travel Service (CITS) is China's largest state-owned travel agency, founded in 1954, serving international tourists, corporate MICE clients, and foreign tour operators with packaged tours, visa services, and business travel coordination through a global member-agency and visa-center network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inbound Tour Operator and Travel Agency Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Travel Agencies (THAKAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Visa, Immigration Liaison & Travel Document Policy (Foreign Affairs) (BPAIAIAL)

Keywords

• Inbound tourism services
• China tour packages
• Corporate MICE travel
• China visa application services
• Tailor-made travel itineraries

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tour Package Sales: CITS generates primary revenue from packaged tours across China including group tours, private tours, themed tours (panda, Silk Road, Yangtze cruises, Tibet/Xizang tours), and city-specific itineraries. Customers pay for bundled services including guide, transportation, accommodations, and entrance fees.
2. Visa Application Services: CITS operates Chinese Visa Application Service Centers throughout Europe, Asia, Oceania, and North America, providing visa processing services for travelers visiting China. Revenue derived from service fees for visa assistance and processing.
3. Business Travel & MICE Services: CITS provides conference planning, meeting management, incentive travel programs, and business travel services including flight/train reservations, hotel bookings, and event coordination for corporate clients.
4. Accommodation & Transportation Reservations: Discount hotel and flight reservations offered as standalone services or bundled with tour packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

China International Travel Service (CITS) is a state-owned inbound tour operator selling packaged China tours (group, private, themed, city-specific), customized tailor-made itineraries, corporate MICE services (conferences, meetings, incentive travel, business travel and fairs), and Chinese visa application processing through a worldwide network of service centers. Offerings include unique content such as Tibet/Xizang tours, panda keeper programs, Silk Road expeditions, Yangtze cruises, Trans-Siberian rail itineraries, and Wenchang rocket launch observation experiences, priced on a custom-quote basis per traveler or event.

Product overview

China International Travel Service (CITS) operates as a comprehensive travel agency and tour operator offering a diverse portfolio of travel products and services. The core offering consists of general China Tours organized into Top 10 Tours, Classic China Tours, and themed tour categories. The company provides City Tours for individual destinations (Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Lhasa, Wuxi, Luoyang, Sanya, and others), Theme Tours (Self Drive, Silk Road, Yangtze, Student, Hiking & Bicycling, Panda, Trans-Mongolian Train, Ethnic Minorities, Family), Group Tours (Small Group and One-day), and specialized Trans-Siberian Rail Tours. CITS also offers Meetings & Incentives services including Conferences & Meetings, Incentive Travel, and Business Travel & Fairs. Additional services include Chinese Visa Application Centers, Travel Guides, and the Tailor My Trip custom tour planning service. Specific signature tour products include the Dujiangyan Panda Keeper Tour and the Wenchang Rocket Launch Watch & Aerospace Carnival experience. The company has regional departments covering Russia & East Europe, German-speaking, Italian, French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, Japan & Korea, Asia & Africa, North America & Oceania, and UK & English-speaking markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CITS: Primary brand for China travel services including tours, travel guides, and visa services

Products and services

• China Tours (General) General China tour packages covering destinations across mainland China, including popular multi-city itineraries and themed tours for inbound international travelers.
• Top 10 China Tours CITS's curated selection of the top 10 China tours, featuring popular multi-city itineraries such as Beijing-Xi'an-Guilin-Shanghai and Shanghai-Suzhou-Hangzhou-Xi'an-Beijing for holiday travelers.
• Xizang / Tibet Tours Specialized Tibet/Xizang tours covering Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse, and surrounding sacred sites including Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Namtso Lake.
• Bullet Train Tours Tours that utilize China's high-speed rail (bullet train) network for travel between major cities and scenic destinations.
• City Tours Individual city tour packages covering Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Lhasa, Wuxi, Luoyang, Sanya, and other major Chinese destinations.
• Theme Tours Specialized themed tours covering Self Drive, Silk Road, Yangtze, Student, Hiking & Bicycling, Panda, Trans-Mongolian Train, Ethnic Minorities, and Family itineraries.
• Group Tours Group travel packages including Small Group Tours and Group One-day Tours for travelers preferring guided group experiences.
• Trans-Siberian Trains International rail tours including Trans-Siberian Railway routes from Beijing to Ulan Bator and beyond, plus Trans-Siberian train ticket services.
• Tailor My Trip / Customized Tours Customized and tailor-made tour planning service that lets travelers design their own China itinerary down to the finest detail, via an online inquiry form on cits.net.
• Meetings & Incentives (MICE) Corporate travel services for groups and organizations covering conferences, meetings, incentive travel, and business travel and fair coordination in China.
• Conferences & Meetings Professional conference and meeting planning services including venue selection, registration management, accommodation, transportation, and event coordination for corporate clients.
• Incentive Travel Corporate incentive travel programs for employee recognition and reward, including custom receptions, team-building activities, and cultural experiences in China.
• Business Travel & Fairs Business travel services covering flight and train reservations, airport transfers, city tours, professional inspection tours, and fair/exhibition travel coordination including Canton Fair services.
• Chinese Visa Application Services Chinese visa application processing through dozens of CITS-operated service centers across Europe, Asia, Oceania, and North America, with online application submission available.
• Travel Guide Comprehensive travel information resource covering Chinese cities, culture, festivals, cuisine, attractions, and practical travel tips for visitors to China.
• Wenchang Rocket Launch Watch & Aerospace Carnival One-day tour in Wenchang, Hainan that lets international travelers observe heavy-lift rocket launches from the official 'Yaoguang' observation platform as part of a broader aerospace carnival experience.
• Dujiangyan Panda Keeper Tour One-day panda keeper experience at Dujiangyan Panda Base in which participants feed pandas, make panda cakes, and engage in care activities with China's national treasure.
• Zhangjiajie Essence Tour 3-day tour covering Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Mount Tianzi Scenic Area, Yuanjiajie, the Bailong Elevator, and Tianmen Mountain glass skywalk.
• Zhangjiajie Highlights Tour 4-day tour featuring the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, Baofeng Lake, Mount Tianzi, and Yuanjiajie scenic areas.
• Zhangjiajie Classic & Fenghuang Ancient Town Tour 5-day tour combining Zhangjiajie's natural landscapes with visits to Fenghuang Ancient Town and ethnic minority cultures of Miao, Tujia, and Hui.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% annual increase rate in incoming tourists from North America & Oceania markets over four consecutive years

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Shanghai Film ParkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026CITS participated alongside Shanghai Film Park at ITB Berlin 2026 to showcase Shanghai's cultural and tourist experiences. This collaboration represents joint marketing efforts to promote Shanghai's cultural tourism offerings to international audiences.
• Shanghai Han Tang TourminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026CITS participated alongside Shanghai Han Tang Tour at ITB Berlin 2026 to showcase Shanghai's cultural and tourist experiences. This collaboration represents joint marketing efforts to promote Shanghai's cultural tourism offerings to international audiences.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Trip.com Group: Largest Chinese online travel agency platform (Ctrip, Qunar, Skyscanner) and CITS's primary digital competitor. Both serve inbound and outbound China tourism, but Trip.com dominates in self-serve, mobile-first bookings while CITS leads in MICE and custom tours.
• CYTS (China Youth Travel Service): Another major state-owned Chinese travel agency offering comparable inbound tour packages, MICE services, and outbound tourism. Directly comparable to CITS in business model, government backing, and customer segments.
• Tongcheng Travel Holdings: Major Chinese online travel platform with strong lower-tier-city penetration. Competes with CITS for inbound and domestic Chinese tourism bookings through mobile-first interfaces and aggressive pricing.
• Tuniu Corporation: China-focused online travel agency specializing in packaged tours and leisure travel. Overlaps with CITS's packaged-tour business but with a digital-first model and different cost structure.
• UTour Group: Chinese travel services group focused on outbound tourism, MICE, and destination management. Comparable to CITS's tour-operator and corporate-incentive functions and competes for similar enterprise clients.
• Intrepid Travel: Global small-group tour operator with significant China itineraries (including panda and cultural tours). Comparable to CITS's small-group, themed tour offerings and competes for similar Western inbound travelers.
• Caissa Travel Group: Mid-sized Chinese travel agency specializing in outbound and domestic package tours with a similar traditional full-service model. Comparable in product breadth and B2B tour-operator distribution approach.

Broad incumbents

• Booking Holdings: Global OTA conglomerate (Booking.com, Agoda, KAYAK). Agoda in particular competes with CITS for Asian inbound travelers to China and broader Asia, with vastly superior self-serve booking technology.
• American Express Global Business Travel: Global leader in corporate travel management and MICE services. Competes with CITS's Meetings & Incentives division for multinational enterprise accounts seeking China-based events and incentive travel.

Regional players

• Flight Centre Travel Group: Australia/New Zealand-headquartered travel agency network with strong outbound China packages. Comparable to CITS's Oceania regional department as a B2C/B2B tour distributor serving Australian and New Zealand inbound travelers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cits_tours
• Facebookfacebook.com/CITSHeadOffice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cits-china-international-travel-service-
• Instagraminstagram.com/citstravel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about China International Travel Service