Early Departures and Extended Holidays
Chinese travellers are preparing for an extended holiday period during Golden Week 2026, according to Trip.com Group data. By combining three days of leave with the official Golden Week and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, workers can extend their break to 13 days. Outbound departures are projected to begin as early as September 25, with the average trip lasting over nine days.
More than half of outbound flight bookings are scheduled before the official holiday start on October 1. Peak departure days are expected on September 25 and September 30. This shift is attributed to the Mid-Autumn Festival falling on the Friday before Golden Week, prompting travellers to leave earlier and avoid peak travel periods.
Growth in Long-Haul and Multi-Destination Travel
Chinese tourists are using the extended holiday to take longer and more distant trips. Bookings for hotel stays of seven nights or more have increased by 123% year-on-year (YoY). Major European cities such as London and Paris are experiencing faster growth in bookings. Long-haul flight bookings are also expected to grow double-digit YoY, with demand focused on gateway cities in Europe, Australia, and the United States.
Multi-destination travel is also rising. Bookings for itineraries covering multiple cities grew 84% YoY. Popular multi-stop combinations include Singapore-Bali, Hong Kong-Sydney, and Amsterdam-Milan. Southeast Asia and Europe are leading regions for these multi-destination trips.
Domestic and Outbound Destination Trends
Interest in nature and cultural destinations is increasing. Searches for “scenic trips” and “nature getaways” rose 53% YoY. Coastal and high-altitude cities such as Qingdao, Lhasa, and Kashgar are among the fastest-growing domestic destinations by flight bookings. Mountainous regions like Xiangxi, Zhangjiajie, and Guilin are gaining popularity among rail travellers.
For outbound travel, island destinations are in high demand. Jeju and Bali are among the top 10 most booked international flight destinations. Southeast Asian beach locations such as Cebu and Phuket have seen YoY flight booking increases of 111% and 78%, respectively. In Europe, cities known for cultural heritage such as Brussels and Athens are also recording significant YoY growth in flight bookings.
Demographic Shifts in Travel Patterns
Millennials and Generation Z are leading the increase in bookings. Travellers aged 18 to 24 show the highest YoY growth across age groups. New Zealand is emerging as a popular destination among Gen Z, with Queenstown and Auckland reporting YoY increases in flight bookings of 314% and 276%, respectively. Secondary cities including Incheon and Chiang Mai are also attracting more travellers from this demographic.
Inbound Tourism to China
Inbound tourism to China is also rising during the Golden Week and Mid-Autumn Festival period. Lesser-known cities such as Yanji, Dunhuang, and Hailar are experiencing some of the fastest increases in flight bookings. Major cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou continue to attract strong inbound flows, particularly from Hong Kong SAR, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia.
Key attractions for inbound visitors include the Mutianyu Great Wall, which is the most popular route on Trip.com’s Beijing Express layover tour. This tour, launched in December 2024, allows international travellers with layovers of over eight hours to visit top Beijing sites such as the Mutianyu Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, and Tiananmen Square. Other popular attractions include Shanghai Disney Resort, Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum, and Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
Intra-Asia Travel and Regional Trends
Seoul is the top global holiday destination for Golden Week 2026, with a 91% YoY increase in international flight bookings. Other South Korean cities, including Busan, Cheongju, and Daegu, are also seeing triple-digit YoY growth in global flight bookings. Japan remains a popular destination for travellers from Malaysia, Thailand, and South Korea.
The overlap of Golden Week with South Korea’s Chuseok holiday is contributing to increased regional travel. South Korean travellers can extend their Chuseok holiday by taking three days off, resulting in increased travel activity. Flight bookings to Fukuoka and Shanghai have grown by 70% and 68% YoY, respectively. Japanese and Chinese travellers are the main contributors to this regional travel growth.
Summary of Travel Patterns
Trip.com Group data indicates robust travel growth across Asia during Golden Week 2026, driven by extended holiday periods, increased demand for long-haul and multi-destination trips, and rising interest in both nature and cultural destinations. Both outbound and inbound tourism are experiencing significant increases, with notable shifts in traveller demographics and destination preferences.
