China's outbound travel to see a boom during upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, National Day holidays

China's outbound tourism has been on the rise this year. Information from many travel agencies and online travel platforms indicates a strong demand for travel products during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays. Short-haul destinations like Hong Kong, Macao, Thailand, and Japan remain top choices, while long-haul destinations such as New Zealand and the U.S. are also in high demand.

Chinese tourists go sightseeing in Irkutsk, Russia. (Photo courtesy of UTour Group Co., Ltd.)

The visa-free destinations in the Caucasus region - Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan - are gaining popularity among Chinese tourists. The search volume for travel guides in these three countries has increased by 112 percent in the past week.

With international flights resuming, the demand for long-haul outbound travel during the holiday season has surged, resulting in a sharp increase in bookings. A representative from Spring-Tour.com noted that there is a growing trend towards long-haul journeys to Europe, with travel packages linked to Oktoberfest, the Munich Beer Festival, which overlaps with the National Day holiday, already fully booked.

Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand have become favored visa-free travel routes for many Chinese tourists. Data from online travel agency LY.com shows a significant increase in hotel and flight bookings for Singapore compared to the previous year.

Chinese tourists go sightseeing in Cambridge, the U.K. (Photo courtesy of UTour Group Co., Ltd.)

During an event on outbound and inbound travel in the summer of 2024, Yang Jinsong, director of the International Institute at the China Tourism Academy, highlighted the rapid recovery of outbound travel, particularly in the short-haul market.

Malaysia reported a 190 percent year-on-year increase in Chinese tourists visiting the country from January to June, reaching 93 percent of the level during the same period in 2019, according to Zhao Gang, marketing executive of the Beijing office of Tourism Malaysia, an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture of Malaysia.

Ling Hui Toh, Area Director of Northern China (Beijing) at Singapore Tourism Board, noted that Singapore saw 1.86 million Chinese tourist visits from January to July this year, representing 84 percent of the level during the same period in 2019.

Chinese tourists go sightseeing in Surabaya, Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of UTour Group Co., Ltd.)

Yang noted that independent travelers are playing an increasingly significant role in outbound tourism. They plan their trips based on their interests, time, and budget, seeking more personalized travel experiences. This raises the bar for travel service providers, resource suppliers, and destination hospitality services.