Chinese Travel to Europe, South America and Australia Rises; Japan Drops Out of Top 10

Dragon Media News Desk

The number of Chinese travelers visiting Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand during China’s National Day holiday rose by more than 40 percent year-on-year. Japan, meanwhile, fell out of the top 10 destinations for Chinese travelers, Global Times reported, citing travel industry data.

The Mid-Autumn Festival holiday began on September 25, followed by the week-long National Day holiday starting October 1. With only three working days between them, people who took those days off could extend their break to 13 days, through October 7. Travel agencies said the longer holiday encouraged trips to distant destinations and itineraries combining several countries.

Bookings for flights covering more than 2,000 kilometers on the first day of the National Day holiday rose by more than 40 percent year-on-year, according to travel platform Qunar. Bookings for flights covering more than 8,000 kilometers also increased by over 30 percent. Hotel bookings for itineraries combining Singapore and Malaysia, or France and Italy, rose 1.2-fold.

Bookings for flights to Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Laos increased by about 20 percent, while those to Britain, Germany and Spain rose by around 15 percent. With spring beginning in the Southern Hemisphere, bookings for flights to Cape Town, South Africa, rose 4.3-fold year-on-year. Bookings to Brazil, Portugal and Chile doubled, The Paper reported.

Japan was not among the top 10 overseas destinations for Chinese travelers during this year’s holiday period, according to travel service provider Tuniu. Data from Tongcheng Travel also showed Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Seoul among the leading destinations, with no Japanese city in the top 10. The report said travel to Japan had cooled amid diplomatic tensions between China and Japan.

China’s Civil Aviation Administration forecast that Chinese airlines would carry 31.19 million passengers from September 25 to October 7, up 3.6 percent from the same period last year. International flight bookings were up 22.5 percent as of September 24, the administration said.

Inbound tourism to China also gained momentum during the National Day holiday, with more foreign visitors taking part in cultural activities. At a tourism resort in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, foreign travelers accounted for more than 25 percent of visitors, according to the resort. Experts said Chinese travelers’ growing interest in multi-country and multi-city itineraries, as well as cultural and recreational experiences, reflects a shift in travel preferences.