The tourism industry, despite its vulnerability to external shock, is acknowledged for its ‘adaptiveness’ and ‘resilience’ to external pressures. Questions arise as to whether the industry can have a rapid recovery post the COVID-19 pandemic and if so, what factors may contribute to this rebound. Based on a nation-wide survey of 3388 samples, this study seeks an understanding of Chinese consumer travel psychology and behaviour post-Covid-19. The study confirms the existence of a sizable and stable segment of mainland Chinese tourists that is likely to be the market for a possible rebound in tourism post-COVID-19. This segment is demographically heterogeneous and geographically diverse but can be differentiated by household income and wealth structure. Research findings will benefit short, medium, to long-term marketing, strategic tourism development and investment planning, aid pricing policies and allocation of limited resources.