Chinese increasingly headed to Europe for Golden Week holiday

The Golden Week holiday period in China has kicked off with the National Day, which commemorates the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Traditionally a period marked by a domestic travel boom, many Chinese travellers are increasingly seeking abroad destinations for their holidays, with Europe seeing the strongest growth, according to Qunar and Trip.com, two of the largest online travel agencies in China.

1. Increased long-haul travel

The agencies have witnessed hotel bookings peak in arrivals for 1 October, with the average length of stays exceeding seven days, as workers can enjoy a 10-day break by taking just two days off. A significant shift towards long-haul destinations can be seen this year, with Australia, the United States, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France and Spain topping the list of most sought-after long-haul destinations by Chinese travellers, marking an increase in long-haul travel compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Total booking growth for stays has grown year-on-year in all of the most popular outbound destinations, however, in Europe, year-on-year growth of 5-star hotel bookings is almost three times higher than in Asia-Pacific, with Belgium, Croatia and the Nordics among the fastest growing destinations.

Moreover, European destinations like the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany and Italy are seeing significantly longer stays, surpassing 10 to 14 days. Interestingly, in Europe, more than 30% of travellers choose multi-destination itineraries, reflecting a growing trend to maximise long-haul travel. Meanwhile, in Asia Pacific, nearly 80% of Chinese travellers opt for single-destination trips.

Additionally, travellers plan further in advance, with visa applications submitted an average of 68 days before the holiday, 29 days earlier than last year. The top countries for National Day visa applications include Japan, South Korea, Australia, the United States, Vietnam, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France and Spain.

2. Avoiding overtourism destinations

With overtourism as one of the challenges for key destinations around the world, Chinese travellers have increasingly been drawn to quieter, off-the-beaten-path locations this Golden Week, particularly in the Asia-Pacific and Europe regions.

Japanese cities off the main circuit of Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto, like Yokohama, Takayama and Ito, showed three-digit booking growth, underscoring this trend. Additionally, nature and wellness tourism saw a rise, with Phu Quoc Islands in Vietnam and the hot spring town of Higashiizu in Japan becoming popular for their scenic landscapes and wellness experiences.

European destinations such as Granada and Seville also captured significant attention, with a 260% and 144% rise in bookings, respectively, reflecting a desire for greater cultural and historical immersion beyond key capitals.