Abstract
The shift from packages to independent travels has significant consequences for the Chinese tourism market. This review systematically examines past studies focusing on the characteristics and behaviours of outbound group and independent Chinese travellers to identify the factors that have driven the shift of travel mode. Using an adapted version of the PRISMA protocol, this review identified 61 relevant studies. Their content analysis shows that, although sharing some similarities, Chinese independent travellers vary from group tourists in terms of motivation, preferences and constraints. The results indicate that the shift was fuelled by the change in symbolic values and by tourists’ increasing experiential desires. Among the contributing factors were China’s economic growth, changes in national policies and technological advancements. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of the complex market change phenomenon in Chinese tourism.