The study’s purpose is to form a methodical approach to assess the transformation of China’s tourism market and determine the promising areas for its most effective recovery against the backdrop of the COVID -19 pandemic. The methodology of the study is based on the diagnosis of the effectiveness of China’s tourism market, expressed through the Tourism development index. The proposed methodological approach has revealed the relationship between the factors that ensure its effectiveness. Integration of the studied indicators into the integral indicator allowed diagnosing the tourism market in 32 provinces of China. The consequences of the pandemic have no significant impact on the tourism market in the studied provinces of China due to the development of domestic tourism. The regression analysis allowed forming the corresponding equation models for the studied provinces. Accelerated recovery of China’s tourism market against the backdrop of the pandemic is possible with a focus on domestic tourism.