Best Travel and Hospitality Companies in China
The 282 best Travel and Hospitality companies in China in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: MTR.
China's Travel and Hospitality sector is one of the most heavily capitalized in Asia, and this directory ranks 282 companies by disclosed equity funding and recent momentum, totaling $40.1B raised across the tracked cohort. China Eastern Airlines alone accounts for $8.2B of that, with Air China adding another $2.2B. Those two figures tell you where the gravity sits. But look past the airlines and you'll find Dishangtie at $376M and Baichuan Group at $350M pulling weight in ground transport and tourism infrastructure.
The broader market context sharpens the picture. Global Travel and Hospitality is forecast to reach $1.7T by 2025, up from $889.7B in 2020, a 14.2% CAGR that China is positioned to absorb a serious share of. Mobile is moving fast too, with median app install growth running at roughly +19% YoY across 614 hospitality and travel apps, which I'd call one of the cleaner demand signals we have right now. Future traveler behavior is shifting toward real-time, weather-aware, risk-sensitive planning, and operators who haven't built for that are already behind. So if you're mapping China's travel stack for investment or partnership, this is where to start.
Ranked: Best Travel and Hospitality companies in China
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Employees | Founded | Founder | Market signals (1y) | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MTR Provider of executive and professional training courses for railway operators & authorities | $10.8B | 75 mo ago | Public | 28,305 | 1975 | Jacob Kam Ceo | 4 signals ▲100% Earnings · M&A · Funding | 29 patents Railway operational analytics: passenger flow prediction, train tracking, driver interfaces, and equipment monitoring | 1 expansion · 2 awards |
| 2 | China Eastern Airlines Provider of travel services | $8.2B | 68 mo ago | Public | 75,277 | 1988 | Xulun Ma CEO | 43 signals ▲231% Announcements · Contracts · Acquisition | — | — |
| 3 | HNA Group Investment holding and airport operating company | $4.9B | 78 mo ago | Acquired | 400,000 | 1993 | Li Xianhua Co-Founder | — | — | — |
| 4 | China Southern Airlines Provider of travel agencies services | $4.3B | 84 mo ago | Public | 96,234 | 1988 | Tan Wan Geng CEO & President | 19 signals ▼21% Announcements · Contracts · Acquisition | — | — |
| 5 | Hong Kong International Airport Operator of airport | $4.0B | 53 mo ago | Funding Raised | — | 1998 | — | 3 signals ▼40% Contracts · Announcements · Earnings | — | 1 expansion · 1 award |
| 6 | Cathay Pacific Airline operator company | $3.2B | 72 mo ago | Public | 26,029 26,029 → 15,141 (-42%) | 2008 | Rupert Hogg CEO | 74 signals ▼15% Announcements · Leadership · Earnings | 24 patents Aircraft cargo net locking mechanisms and passenger cabin module designs | 1 award |
| 7 | Air China Operator of passenger airlines | $2.2B | 41 mo ago | Public | 101,393 | 1988 | Cai Jianjiang President & CEO | — | 262 patents Aircraft fault diagnosis, maintenance, and monitoring systems for avionics and engine health | — |
| 8 | Shenzhen Expressway Operates road infrastructures | $650M | 15 mo ago | Public | 7,279 | 1996 | WU Ya De CEO & President | — | — | — |
| 9 | Hong Kong Airlines Operator of passenger airlines | $383M | 36 mo ago | Series D | 2,690 | 2006 | Sun Jianfeng CEO | — | — | 1 award |
| 10 | Dishangtie Offers electric car rental services | $376M | 30 mo ago | Series D | 300 | 2015 | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | Baichuan Group 🦄 Manufacturer of rail transit rolling stock inspection equipment | $350M | 32 mo ago | Series A | 1,000 | 1998 | — | — | 7 patents Railway hopper car bottom-door mechanisms, underframe beams, and digital signal code comparison. | — |
| 12 | Weave Living Operator of standalone hotel | $181M | 27 mo ago | Series D | — | 2017 | Floyd Barnes Co-Founder | 3 signals Acquisition | — | 1 expansion |
| 13 | YaDuo Mid-range hotel Chain | $130M | 113 mo ago | Public | 3,255 | 2005 | — | — | 2 patents Aloe extraction processes and composite anti-caking food additive formulation | — |
| 14 | Homeinns Hotel chain in China | $77M | 127 mo ago | Public | 25,176 | 2002 | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | Caesar Operator of cultural tours | $64M | 73 mo ago | Series C | 4,270 | 1993 | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | Cachet Hotels Operator of hotels and resorts | $45M | 84 mo ago | Deadpooled | 57 | 1997 | Robert Roche Co-Founder & Chairman | — | — | — |
| 17 | Rongbaozhai Cultural enterprise operating stationery, calligraphy and painting shops | $43M | 114 mo ago | Series B | — | 1672 | Ma Wuyi CEO & President | — | — | — |
| 18 | Xbed Operator of hotels | $38M | 67 mo ago | Series B | — | 2015 | Chuntian Li Founder | — | — | — |
| 19 | Z-TRIP Provider of travel management services | $30M | 58 mo ago | Series B | 300 | 2017 | — | — | — | — |
| 20 | Tsingpu Tours & travel service operator | $29M | 110 mo ago | Series A | 17 | 2015 | — | — | — | — |
| 21 | Shanghai Zhi Rent Logistics Technology Provider of car rental services | $26M | 29 mo ago | Series C | — | 2018 | Li Xuejun CEO | — | — | — |
| 22 | Guangzhou Minlu Technology Travel guide service provider | $23M | 98 mo ago | Public | 64 | 2013 | — | — | — | — |
| 23 | Banyan Tree Operator of luxury hotels and resorts with integrated spa and wellbeing offerings | $17M | 114 mo ago | Public | 2 | 1994 | Ho Ping Co-Founder & Chairman | — | — | 1 expansion |
| 24 | Yuetu Provider of high-end user travel services | $14M | 33 mo ago | Series B | — | 2012 | Wang Jun Founder | — | — | — |
| 25 | Roto Travel Manufacturer of custom metal fabrications, machining, and welding services | $9M | 82 mo ago | Series A | 70 | 2014 | — | — | — | — |
| 26 | Dash Living Operator of hotels | $9M | 62 mo ago | Series A | 109 | 2010 | Aaron Lee Founder | — | — | — |
| 27 | MR. Zoo Operator of zoo | $7M | 78 mo ago | Series A | 70 | 2017 | — | — | — | — |
| 28 | Monkey Happy International Travel Agency Co Operator of cultural, domestic, and island tours | $7M | 72 mo ago | Series A | 60 | 2018 | — | — | — | — |
| 29 | Sea Lily Yangshuo Riverside Resort Hotel located in China | $6M | 96 mo ago | Deadpooled | — | 2015 | Xu Xinming Founder | — | — | — |
| 30 | AirNet Technology Provides in-flight solutions for connectivity, entertainment, and digital media | $6M | 26 mo ago | Public | — | 2007 | Herman Guo Founder | — | — | — |
| 31 | JX Luxventure Operator of tour | $4M | 55 mo ago | Public | — | 2012 | Sun Lei CEO | — | — | — |
| 32 | Isanfeng Artificial grass rental platform for hospitality industry | $3M | 97 mo ago | Deadpooled | 200 | 2015 | — | — | — | — |
| 33 | Air China Operator of passenger airlines | $2M | 35 mo ago | Public | — | 1988 | Song Zhiyong, CEO & President | 20 signals ▲43% Announcements · Contracts · Earnings | 262 patents Aircraft fault detection, diagnosis, and maintenance systems for avionics and engine health | — |
| 34 | Feiba Business Travel Provider of professional travel management services | $2M | 80 mo ago | Series A | 40 | 1996 | Chen Qiannan CEO | — | — | — |
| 35 | Jingxianghui Operator of hotels | $1M | 78 mo ago | Seed | — | 2019 | Wu Tao Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
Top 12 Travel and Hospitality companies in China
#1
Public · Shenzhen, Guangdong Province · founded 1996 · 7279 employees$649.5Mraised▾
Operates road infrastructures
- Mar 2025Post IPO$649.5M
#2
Series D · Shenzhen, Guangdong Province · founded 2015 · 300 employees$376Mraised▾
Offers electric car rental services
- Dec 2023Series D$8M
- Jan 2022Series D$200M
- May 2021Series C—
- Jan 2020Series C—
#3
Series D · Hong Kong, Hong Kong · founded 2017$181Mraised▾
Operator of standalone hotel
- Feb 2024Series D—
- Nov 2018Series D$181M
#4
Public · Beijing, Beijing · founded 1988 · 101393 employees$2.2Braised▾
Operator of passenger airlines
- Jan 2023Post IPO$2.2B
#5
Series A · Tangshan, Hebei · founded 1998 · 1000 employees$350Mraised▾
Manufacturer of rail transit rolling stock inspection equipment
- Oct 2023Series A$350M
#6
Public · Minhang, Shanghai · founded 1988 · 75277 employees$8.2Braised▾
China Eastern Airlines is a Chinese airline headquartered in Shangai, China. The company provides passenger transportation and cargo transportation services to clients with its own fleet of mostly Boeing & Airbus planes. It is wholly owned by the China Eastern Airlines Group, a state-owned enterprise. In 2023, the company recorded annual revenues of $8.02B and a net loss of $3.99B.
- Oct 2020Post IPO$4.6B
- Jul 2018Post IPO$1.9B
- Jul 2016Post IPO$1.3B
- Apr 2013Post IPO$367M
#7
Funding Raised · Hong Kong, Hong Kong · founded 1998$4Braised▾
Operator of airport
- Jan 2022Conventional Debt$4B
#8
Series D · Hong Kong, Hong Kong · founded 2006 · 2690 employees$383Mraised▾
Operator of passenger airlines
- May 2023Series D$383M
#9
Public · Kowloon, Hong Kong · founded 1975 · 28305 employees$10.8Braised▾
Provider of executive and professional training courses for railway operators & authorities. The academy provides to train railway talents, and develop railway experts, executives with the aim of advancing service, establishing a railway operator community in pursuit of management best practices. In 2022, the company recorded annual revenues of $6.11B and a net profit of $1.25B.
- Feb 2020Grant (prize money)$489.9K
- Oct 2018Conventional Debt$10.8B
#10
Acquired · Beijing, Beijing · founded 1993 · 400000 employees$4.9Braised▾
HNA Group is an investment holding company. Its portfolio companies provide services to multiple sectors including aviation, real estate, finance, tourism, and logistics. The company has stakes in multiple airlines, hotels, and more. The company is also involved in shipbuilding.
- Dec 2019Conventional Debt$568.3M
- Jul 2018Conventional Debt—
- Jun 2018Conventional Debt$342M
- Feb 2018Conventional Debt—
#11
Series C · Shanghai, Shanghai · founded 2018$25.9Mraised▾
Provider of car rental services
- Jan 2024Series C—
- Jan 2022Series B$17.3M
- Aug 2020Series A$8.6M
- Aug 2019Series A—
#12
Public · Hong Kong, Hong Kong · founded 2008 · 26029 employees$3.2Braised▾
Airline operator company. It provides services like passenger scheduling and cargo services. The company's top markets in the Asia-Pacific. In 2020, the company recorded annual revenues of $6.1 B and a net loss of $-2.8 B
- Jun 2020Post IPO$2.5B
- Nov 2017Post IPO$661M
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Travel and Hospitality coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
Common questions
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.