China to see tourism boom during upcoming 'golden week' holiday

Visitors enjoy water activities at a water sports center in Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

China expects record travel during its upcoming eight-day "golden week" holiday period starting Oct. 1, as tourists plan trips for the combined Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day celebrations. Both domestic destinations and overseas travel are projected to see strong increases in visitor numbers.

According to data from multiple travel agencies and online platforms, domestic travel intentions have risen 30 percent year on year ahead of the holiday period, while outbound travel intentions have jumped by more than 40 percent. Tourism bookings are recording double-digit growth compared with the same period last year.

Searches for "appreciating the autumn scenery" during the holiday period jumped 125 percent from the previous week, according to online travel platform Mafengwo.

Statistics from online travel agency Tuniu indicate strong demand for autumn destinations such as the Longji rice terraces in Guilin, Wulong in Chongqing, Altay and Kanas in Xinjiang, Jiuzhaigou and Daocheng Yading in Sichuan Province, Hongcun village in Huangshan, the Changbai Mountains in Jilin Province, and Huangling village in Wuyuan county, Jiangxi Province. All have recorded high booking volumes for the holiday period. The autumn travel boom has also fueled interest in specialized products such as photography tours, camping, travel photography services, hiking and cycling.

Emotional satisfaction has become an important factor influencing many tourists' choices. For the holiday period, hotel search volumes on online travel agency Ctrip for destinations including Xinjiang, Xizang and Inner Mongolia increased 60 percent year on year, with most visitors coming from major cities. Vast grasslands and unique landscapes offering "healing" experiences have met the inner desire of urban workers to relax and reconnect with nature.

"Today's tourists seek both emotional value and cost-effectiveness," said Qi Chunguang, vice president of Tuniu. "They want high-quality, in-depth travel experiences and are willing to pay for emotional value, while following the principle of 'save where appropriate, spend where worthwhile.' They cut costs on transportation and non-essentials to invest more in meaningful experiences."

The shift has boosted demand for self-drive tours, independent travel and high-speed rail trips, with bookings for these options more than doubling compared to last year's holiday period, Qi said.

Overseas tourist arrivals to China are continuing to grow, with South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, the United States, Russia and Australia leading source countries, according to Ctrip data. Top destinations include Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xiamen, Qingdao, Hangzhou and Xi'an.

Russian tourist bookings on Ctrip increased 75 percent year on year as of Sept. 19, driven by new mutual visa exemption policies between China and Russia. Beijing, Shanghai, Sanya, Guangzhou and Harbin are the most popular destinations for Russian visitors.

International long-haul travel continues recovering, with outbound bookings now covering more than 140 countries and regions, a sharp increase from last year, according to Fliggy, Alibaba's online travel platform. Bookings for Australia, the United States, New Zealand and several European countries grew rapidly. Russia saw bookings nearly triple year on year after introducing visa-free access for Chinese visitors, while Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam remained popular destinations.

Favorable policies, including visa exemptions and resumed flights, have greatly expanded international travel options, said Li Mengran, media public relations manager at travel agency UTour. Outbound travel products increased 75 percent compared to last year, with tourist numbers expected to rise 130 percent.

Belt and Road partner countries, including Georgia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, have become popular destinations for international self-drive tours. Car rental orders for these countries during the holiday period increased by 200 percent, 300 percent and 1,000 percent, respectively, according to Ctrip data.