China’s ‘super golden week’ forecast to spark travel boom at home and abroad
This year’s holiday combines National Day with the Mid-Autumn Festival – and could see trips more than double year on year, analysts say
Total trips outside mainland China are forecast to reach between 8 million and 8.4 million – more than double the 3.8 million recorded for the holiday in 2024 – according to travel marketing and technology company China Trading Desk on Monday.
Demand is “surging” for visa-free destinations such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, the firm said. Long popular with Chinese tourists, all three have scrapped visa requirements since the pandemic.
Russia has also seen a rise in bookings by Chinese citizens following the introduction of a visa exemption rule in September, according to Fliggy, Alibaba Group Holding’s travel platform. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
South Korea, a perennially popular spot for Chinese travellers, rolled out visa-free entry for tour group members on September 29 – a move that could have an “impact”, business consultancy Dragon Trail International said in a September 23 travel sentiment report.
The annual holiday, dubbed “golden week”, will last longer than usual this year. Coinciding with both the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day, it runs from October 1 to 8.
The extended break will give travellers a head start and the chance to “cleverly” combine annual leave with the holiday, Fliggy said.