China outbound travel rises over National Day holiday; South Korea top destination
In short
During the 2026 National Day holiday, Chinese outbound travel increased and destination choices widened, according to China News Service, which cited foreign media reports. South Korea was the most-cited planned destination at 20.1% of surveyed travellers, while Thailand reported 133,900 Chinese arrivals in the week of Sept 27 to Oct 3, up 41.98% from the previous week. Xinhua reported that France also received Chinese tourists during the holiday.
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Chinese outbound travel rose during the 2026 National Day holiday and destination choices became more varied, China News Service reported on Oct 6, citing foreign media. It said travellers went to traditional Asian destinations such as South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia as well as longer-haul destinations including Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and that foreign outlets saw the demand as bringing visitor flows and spending opportunities to destination markets. [ 2 ]
Citing South Korea's Seoul Economic Daily, China News Service reported that South Korea was the top planned overseas destination, chosen by 20.1% of surveyed Chinese travellers, ahead of Singapore at 6.6%. The proportion of respondents planning an outbound trip for the 2026 National Day holiday rose to 54% from 35% in 2025, the report said. Korean department stores, duty-free shops and convenience stores offered discounts and payment promotions to attract Chinese shoppers, and local retailers expected the holiday spending boost to be stronger than in 2025, when Shinsegae Department Store's Chinese visitor spending rose 66% from the previous week against a 12.5% overall rise in foreign visitor spending, according to the report. [ 2 ]
Thailand's The Nation, cited by China News Service, reported that Thailand received 522,500 foreign tourists in the week of Sept 27 to Oct 3, up 8.24% week on week, of which 133,900 were Chinese, up 41.98%. The Tourism Authority of Thailand focused on the Sept 25 to Oct 7 period covering the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day, and expected about 250,000 Chinese tourists, up 24% from the same period in 2025, bringing about 11.5 billion baht, a 37% increase. Malaysia's The Star reported that hotel occupancy in Penang and Sabah was expected to exceed 80% during the Chinese holiday, outperforming other parts of Malaysia. [ 2 ]
Asian Travel Weekly reported that Chinese travellers departed earlier and travelled longer during the 2026 holiday, with multi-destination bookings up 84% on agency data, and notable growth in flight bookings to Jeju Island in South Korea, Cebu in the Philippines and Phuket in Thailand. Xinhua reported separately that France received Chinese tourists during the National Day holiday; its feed carried only the headline. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The reports describe Chinese holiday travel as a source of demand for airlines, hotels, retail and duty-free operators in destination markets, with Korea, Thailand and Malaysia cited as actively courting Chinese visitors. Xinhua's mention of France indicates the holiday flow reached Europe as well as Asia. The documents give no figures on total outbound travellers, so the overall scale of the shift is not established.
Key facts
- China News Service reported that Chinese outbound travel demand rose during the 2026 National Day holiday, with more diverse destinations including Asia, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. [ 2 ]
- Citing South Korea's Seoul Economic Daily, 54% of surveyed Chinese travellers planned an outbound trip for the 2026 National Day holiday, up from 35% in 2025. [ 2 ]
- South Korea was the top planned destination at 20.1% of respondents, followed by Singapore at 6.6%, according to the Seoul Economic Daily report cited by China News Service. [ 2 ]
- Thailand received 133,900 Chinese tourists in the week of Sept 27 to Oct 3, up 41.98% week on week, while total foreign arrivals rose 8.24% to 522,500, according to The Nation of Thailand as cited by China News Service. [ 2 ]
- Thailand's tourism authority expected about 250,000 Chinese tourists between Sept 25 and Oct 7, up 24% from the same period in 2025, and about 11.5 billion baht in revenue, up 37%, per The Nation. [ 2 ]
- Malaysia's The Star reported that hotel occupancy in Penang and Sabah was expected to exceed 80% during China's National Day holiday. [ 2 ]
- Asian Travel Weekly reported that multi-destination trip bookings rose 84% during the holiday and that bookings for flights to Jeju Island, Cebu and Phuket increased notably. [ 2 ]
- Xinhua reported that France welcomed Chinese tourists during the National Day holiday. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The total number of Chinese travellers who went abroad during the 2026 National Day holiday is not given. Only destination-specific and survey-based figures appear; no aggregate outbound figure is provided.
- Xinhua's report on France is available only as a headline, with no details on arrival numbers, cities or activities. Only the feed headline could be read for document 1.
- The survey behind the 54% outbound intention figure is not described. China News Service cites the Seoul Economic Daily but gives no sample size, method or date for the survey.