Asian Destinations Prepare for Surge in Chinese Holiday Travelers

Asian tourism destinations are preparing for a significant influx of Chinese travelers as the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day Golden Week combine to create a holiday window ranging from 10 to 13 days. Data from travel platforms show international flight reservations have increased over 20 percent year on year, with tours of 10 days or more now accounting for 26 percent of bookings.

Trip.com Group reports that Seoul is the top destination by flight bookings, followed by Tokyo and Bangkok, while Australia and New Zealand are also seeing increased traction. To attract these visitors, the Government of Thailand launched the Nihao Month 2026 campaign on September 14, and South Korea is hosting Seoul Welcome Week: Autumn Edition through October 11.

Within China, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism launched a month-long promotion on September 22 featuring over 20,000 events, while local governments are distributing approximately 310 million yuan in consumer vouchers. The National Immigration Administration expects daily cross-border trips to average between 2.15 million and 2.25 million. Industry experts note that this surge is critical for a regional tourism sector currently challenged by rising oil prices and conflict in the Middle East.