The CNTA promotes a different tourism theme every year: 1992 was named "Friendly Sightseeing Year." Following that was "Landscape Tour," "Tour of Cultural Relics and Historical Sites," "Folk Customs Tour," "Holiday Tour," and "Ecological Environment Tour," "Century Year," "Health and Fitness of China," "Folk Arts of China," and "Culinary Kingdom of China," and "Catch the Lifestyle."

In 2005 the theme was "China's Travel Year" and it also saw the launch of "2008 Beijing -- China Welcomes You." In order to strengthen exchange and cooperation with the international tourism industry, CNTA held a series of related events, including the Shanghai-hosted "2005 International Tourism Fair of China," the Beijing-hosted 2005 annual meeting of the Federation of Travel Agencies of France, and sponsored "the 2005 China-Australian Tourism Symposium." The China International Online Travel Fair 2005 held in March 2005 was informative, comprehensive and of long duration. It provided a safe, instant and convenient online exchange and trading platform between tourist companies, and between tourist companies and tourists.

In order to raise awareness of eco-environmental protection of cultural and natural landscapes among tourists, the CTNA has named 2006 "Year of Ecological Tourism" and set this year's theme as "China's Countryside," focusing on rural life, customs and scenery, with "spring flowers, summer cultivation, autumn harvest," agriculture-themed trips, as well as farming life-style trips featuring "farm accommodation, farm food and farm work at first hand."