This summer, the "first-stop effect" of international travelers in Beijing's inbound tourism market has become increasingly apparent. A joint summer survey by DeepBlue Think Tank and Ctrip found that hotels near Beijing's two airports dominated the top ten most popular hotels thanks to this "first-stop effect." Hotels along the central axis saw a significant increase in popularity, with some hotels experiencing a doubling of inbound passenger numbers year-on-year, and the average length of stay for tourists also increasing accordingly. This trend of "staying longer and exploring more deeply" is not an isolated case. The Sanlitun business district has topped the list of popular hotel districts for two consecutive years, and some hotels in the Guomao CBD have seen an increase of over seven times in overseas visitors. More notably, inbound tourists are no longer limited to international high-end brands. Mid-range, mid-to-high-end, and local chain hotels are favored for their cost-effectiveness, bilingual services, and convenient foreign currency exchange services. Furthermore, chain hotels are even starting to train their staff in basic English to meet high-star standards, providing more convenient services for inbound tourists. From "stopping for a night" near the airport to "staying and experiencing" in the core urban area, the extended stays and increased experiential activities at hotels are resonating with the shift in inbound tourists' needs from "checking off" destinations to "immersing themselves" in their travel experiences.

The "first-stop effect" is evident among international travelers.

According to research data jointly released by DeepBlue Think Tank and Ctrip, the top ten most popular hotels for inbound tourism to Beijing in the summer of 2026 are: Beijing Yuanhang International Hotel (Capital Airport New China International Exhibition Center Branch), eLong Ruiyun Hotel (Beijing Capital Airport New China International Exhibition Center Branch), Hilton Beijing Capital Airport, Hyatt Regency Beijing Daxing International Airport, Beijing Yuanhang Garden Hotel (Beijing Daxing International Airport Branch), Sichuan Airlines Golden Panda Hotel (Beijing New China International Exhibition Center Branch), Qiuguo Hotel (Beijing New China International Exhibition Center Branch), Qiuguo S Hotel (Beijing New China International Exhibition Center Branch), Meichen Hotel (Beijing Daxing International Airport Terminal Branch), and Cordis Beijing Capital Airport East Coast Hotel. These hotels are all located near the two airports, with seven hotels near Capital Airport and three near Daxing Airport. Meanwhile, in terms of the top ten most popular hotel districts for inbound tourism to Beijing in the summer, the Capital Airport/New China International Exhibition Center area ranks second.

DeepBlue Think Tank contacted eLong Ruiyun Hotel (Beijing Capital Airport New International Exhibition Center Branch), a subsidiary of eLong Hotel Technology. This hotel ranked second among the top ten most popular hotels for inbound tourists to Beijing in 2026. Miao Qinkai, General Manager of eLong Ruiyun Hotel (Beijing Capital Airport New International Exhibition Center Branch), stated that since July 1st, the number of overseas tourists received by the hotel has increased by 37% year-on-year. These overseas tourists mainly come from Eastern Europe, North America, and Africa, including Russia, the United States, Serbia, and Algeria, and their main customer groups are tourists, students, those visiting relatives, and workers.

When discussing why inbound tourists prefer to stay near the airport, Miao Qinkai believes that as a hub for inbound and outbound routes, Beijing Capital International Airport handles a large number of international flights daily. For arriving tourists, staying near the airport minimizes commuting time, allowing for a more relaxed and convenient rest after a long journey. eLong Ruiyun Hotel, located in the core area of Beijing Capital International Airport, enjoys a significant geographical advantage. Combined with its marketing strategies within the commercial district, this has made it the top-selling hotel of its class near the airport.

The demand for accommodation in the Beijing Capital International Airport/New China International Exhibition Center area comes not only from air travelers, but also significantly from convention and exhibition activities and daily business travel. Previously, the 2026 Beijing Auto Show was held at the China International Exhibition Center (Shunyi Hall) and the Capital International Convention and Exhibition Center, both near Beijing Capital International Airport. Many overseas exhibitors chose to stay in the surrounding area, further highlighting the significant demand for convention and exhibition and business travel in the Beijing Capital International Airport/New China International Exhibition Center area.

Miao Qinkai stated that because the airport is some distance from the city center and its core attractions, the hotel's main function around the airport is as a transit point. Therefore, inbound travelers typically only stay one night at the hotel before heading to various famous attractions in the city and experiencing Chinese culture the following day. The hotel's repeat purchase rate has been increasing year-on-year, with most inbound travelers choosing to stay at the hotel near Beijing Capital International Airport again when transiting through the airport.

Hotels along the central axis have seen a significant increase in popularity.

Beyond the airport area, hotels along Beijing's central axis continue to be favored by inbound tourists due to their unique geographical advantages. Research data released by DeepBlue Think Tank and Ctrip shows that the top ten popular hotel districts for inbound tourism to Beijing in the summer of 2026 include Sanlitun/Workers' Stadium/Dongzhimen area, Capital Airport/New China International Exhibition Center area, Tiananmen/Wangfujing area, CBD/Chaoyang Joy City area, Daxing Beijing Daxing International Airport area, Yansha/Chaoyang Park commercial area, Qianmen/Temple of Heaven/Chongwenmen area, Yongdingmen/South Railway Station/Dahongmen/Nanyuan area, Jinsong/Panjiayuan area, and Zhongguancun/Wudaokou. Among these, the area along Beijing's central axis occupies three spots, with Tiananmen/Wangfujing continuing its popularity in the top three, and Qianmen/Temple of Heaven and Yongdingmen/Beijing South Railway Station also making the list.

In July 2024, Beijing's central axis was successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List, which already attracted global attention. In addition, the area is densely packed with core scenic spots, and surrounding hotels have quickly become a popular choice for inbound tourists.

The Beijing Tiananmen Ease Hotel, located near the core scenic area, has continued to be favored by a large number of inbound tourists this summer. Shao Di, Senior Brand Director of Ease Hotel Group, told DeepBlue Think Tank that during the summer vacation (July 1st to August 10th), the Tiananmen Ease Hotel received 1,115 overseas tourists, compared to 547 in the same period of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 104%. In terms of source countries, Russia, the United States, Italy, India, and the Netherlands ranked as the top five, with Russian tourists showing a particularly significant increase of approximately 500% year-on-year.

Shao Di analyzed that, thanks to its location adjacent to the Wangfujing core business district and within walking distance of scenic spots such as the Forbidden City, the hotel mainly attracts inbound families. Meanwhile, the hotel's 8th floor and terrace offer panoramic views of the Forbidden City, a highly attractive feature, and the terrace area is frequently visited by inbound tourists for relaxation.

Tourists are increasingly favoring longer stays in Beijing, and hotels are actively responding by creating diverse cultural experiences tailored to tourists' interests. Shao Di noted that this summer, inbound tourists stayed an average of 2.6 days at hotels, slightly longer than the 2.48 days in 2025. She observed that inbound tourists' spending preferences are shifting from traditional sightseeing to in-depth experiences, with a greater willingness to explore hutongs and immerse themselves in local life. In response, hotels have launched intangible cultural heritage craft experiences and hutong tours, and encourage staff to act as "local guides," recommending less-traveled spots to guests.

Sanlitun area remains the top 1 most popular business district.

Sanlitun, boasting the dual advantages of being located in the embassy district and a core business area, once again topped the list of the ten most popular hotel districts for inbound tourists to Beijing during the summer of 2026, marking its second consecutive year at the top. Meanwhile, the Guomao CBD/Chaoyang Joy City area, not far from Sanlitun, also maintained its popularity.

The Yifei Hotel Sanlitun, Beijing's China World Trade Center, saw a nearly 30% year-on-year increase in inbound tourists this summer. Shao Di explained that from July 1st to the present, the hotel has received 288 international tourists, a 28% increase year-on-year, with guests coming from Europe, America, Southeast Asia, and other regions. Located next to the embassy and consulate area, the hotel also caters to a significant number of overseas government officials and visa applicants. Furthermore, as a flagship hotel within the Hyatt Hotels Corporation, with only about 30 rooms, it's ideal for urban getaways and frequently attracts inbound tourists who make special trips to experience it.

The mid-range eLong World Hotel, located in Sanlitun, has also attracted many inbound tourists. Li Xuying, General Manager of eLong World Hotel (Beijing Sanlitun Taikoo Li Tuanjiehu Subway Station Branch), said that the rapid recovery of the inbound tourism market, coupled with the benefits of the visa-free policy, has led to a continuous increase in foot traffic in the Sanlitun business district. The growth momentum of the hotel's overseas customers is very obvious, especially after the end of July, when the growth rate of overseas individual traveler orders continued to accelerate. From July 1 to the present, the hotel has received a total of 310 overseas tourists. Moreover, the number of bookings for the next few months is still increasing.

Jiao Yang, General Manager of Jinjiang Hotels (China Region) in Beijing, revealed that since July 1, the number of inbound tourists received by the Liyi Hotel (Beijing Guomao Dawanglu Subway Station Branch) has increased by 765.85% year-on-year. The recovery of overseas tourists this summer is very obvious, with a significant increase in volume. The vast majority of these tourists are visitors who come to Beijing specifically for sightseeing.

According to Jiao Yang, the core reason why inbound tourists favor hotels in the Guomao CBD/Chaoyang Joy City area is their extremely advantageous geographical location. From Guomao and Dawanglu, tourists can take Metro Line 1 directly to Beijing's core scenic spots such as Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the National Museum of China, making travel time-saving and convenient, ideal for overseas tourists visiting Beijing. At the same time, the area boasts numerous core business districts with comprehensive dining and shopping facilities.

Li Xuying believes that the Sanlitun area has both high-end hotels and mid-range quality hotels with excellent value for money, such as eLong World Hotel. These hotels can meet the needs of independent travelers with different budgets and are more affordable than hotels in the core scenic area.

Mid- to high-end hotels are also favored.

Besides location, cost-effectiveness and convenience are also core considerations for inbound tourists. DeepBlue Think Tank selected representative areas from the top ten popular hotel districts for inbound tourism in Beijing during the summer of 2026—Sanlitun/Gongti/Dongzhimen area, which ranked first; Zhongguancun/Wudaokou area, which entered the top ten this year; and Guomao CBD/Chaoyang Joy City area, which has been consistently popular. After analyzing their hotel customer groups, it was found that inbound tourists' choices are no longer limited to international high-end brands, but they increasingly value cost-effectiveness and are also happy to stay in Chinese domestic chain hotels.

Taking the Sanlitun/Workers' Stadium/Dongzhimen area and the CBD/Chaoyang Joy City area as examples, the aforementioned Beijing CBD Sanlitun Yifei Hotel and eLong Wanguo Hotel (Beijing Sanlitun Taikoo Li Tuanjiehu Subway Station Branch) are positioned as mid-to-high-end and mid-range hotels, respectively.

In addition, the mid-range Radisson Blu Hotel in the Zhongguancun/Wudaokou area has become a favorite among many inbound tourists. Jiao Yang explained that this summer, the number of inbound tourists received by the Radisson Blu Hotel (Zhongguancun Suzhou Street branch) increased by 213% compared to the previous period, with leisure travelers making up the majority and business travelers accounting for 30%. On the one hand, Radisson Blu is a brand under the Radisson Group, enjoying high brand recognition overseas and gaining recognition from a large number of international tourists; on the other hand, inbound tourists are increasingly focusing on the cost-effectiveness of inbound tourism, and mid-range and mid-to-high-end hotels have become their mainstream choice in recent years.

DeepBlue Think Tank's research also found that some tourists prioritize domestic Chinese chain hotels. Zhang Jianjun, manager of Hanting Hotel (Beijing West Railway Station Lize Business District Branch), said that since the summer vacation began, the hotel has received approximately 200 room nights from inbound tourists. Since expanding into overseas markets through OTA platforms last September, the hotel's inbound bookings have been steadily increasing since April this year, with a particularly significant increase in orders during July and August. The main source of customers is European countries such as Russia, Italy, and Portugal.

"The hotel offers a range of supporting services to meet the needs of inbound guests." In response to the question of why inbound tourists favor this Hanting Hotel, Zhang Jianjun said that after overseas tourists place an order on the booking platform, the hotel will send bilingual greeting text messages through the platform, informing them of the hotel's specific location, foreign currency exchange services, nearby tourist attractions, and ride-hailing services, and will proactively maintain online interaction with guests.

Beyond basic conveniences, Zhang Jianjun also revealed that, as a chain hotel, they are trying to align with the service standards of high-star hotels by providing basic English training for their staff. For example, housekeeping staff have been trained to use basic phrases such as "clean room" and "housekeeping," and front desk staff have also received similar training, enabling them to at least conduct simple communications such as greetings, requesting items, and inquiring about check-out times. He admitted that this type of bilingual training was previously a feature typically found in five-star hotels, but now some comfortable chain hotels are gradually following suit.

According to Zhang Jianjun, inbound tourists often prioritize convenience, good service, and cost-effectiveness when selecting hotels. As service quality continues to improve, Chinese hotels will become increasingly popular with inbound tourists. (Source: Beijing Business Today)