Thailand Leads New China National Day Travel Boom as Bangkok Takes Top Spot and Southeast Asia Soars

Thailand is taking off as China’s top travel destination for holiday-makers. Thailand is set to benefit from a surge in Chinese outbound travel as holidays begin across China on the National Day holiday, with Bangkok the preferred option among Southeast Asian destinations, according to reports. Thailand is poised to be a key beneficiary from Chinese outbound spending as 2026 National Day kicks off with millions of Chinese tourists flocking to the region. As Chinese holidays start, outbound travel demand is surging from the world’s second-largest economy as people look for short regional breaks with more flight options and fresh experiences. Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam are also seeing rising outbound travel demand. Meanwhile, China is seeing an extraordinary domestic tourism boom, with billions of trips expected over the seven-day holiday, and airlines, railways, and local tourism authorities have boosted capacity and promotional efforts.

Bangkok Takes the Lead in China’s National Day Holiday Travel

Bangkok has emerged as the most popular destination outside mainland China for travellers during the October 1–7 National Day holiday period in 2026.

The Thai capital ranks ahead of Kuala Lumpur and Seoul, while Singapore, Bali and Ho Chi Minh City are also positioned among the most popular overseas destinations.

The rankings underline a wider shift towards Southeast Asia. Thailand’s combination of air connectivity, established tourism infrastructure, shopping, food, entertainment and resort access makes Bangkok an important gateway for Chinese travellers.

The trend could also support destinations beyond Bangkok as visitors connect to beaches, islands and other tourism centres across Thailand.

Southeast Asia Gains as Airlines Add More Flights

Growing travel demand has encouraged airlines to increase capacity between China and Southeast Asia during the holiday period.

Flights linking China with Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Laos have increased by a combined 20 per cent. The additional services provide travellers with greater choice while giving tourism destinations more opportunities to capture Chinese visitor spending.

Long-haul markets are also recording additional capacity. Flights from China to the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain have increased by 15 per cent during the holiday travel period.

However, Southeast Asia remains particularly well positioned because of its relatively short flying times and extensive leisure tourism infrastructure.

International Flight Bookings Rise Sharply

The scale of the outbound holiday movement is reflected in international flight bookings, which have increased by 22.5 per cent year on year.

China’s aviation authorities expect approximately 31.19 million passenger journeys between September 25 and October 7, representing growth of around 3.6 per cent compared with the previous year.

The travel period is particularly significant because the September 25–27 Mid-Autumn Festival break falls shortly before the National Day holiday.

Some travellers have been able to combine annual leave with the two holiday periods, creating an extended break of as many as 13 days.

That longer window gives Chinese tourists more flexibility to consider overseas destinations rather than shorter domestic trips.

Japan Loses Ground as Regional Travel Patterns Change

Japan, previously one of the strongest destinations for Chinese holidaymakers, has experienced a significant change in demand.

The country has dropped outside one major travel company’s top 10 overseas destinations for the 2026 National Day holiday after ranking first during the previous year.

Indonesia, Turkey and South Korea are now among the destinations attracting stronger interest.

Japanese cities had performed strongly during the 2025 holiday period, with Tokyo and Osaka both appearing prominently in booking rankings.

The supplied figures show Chinese visitor arrivals to Japan fell 56.4 per cent year on year during the first six months of 2026.

Reduced air capacity has also created challenges for some travellers, with fewer flights contributing to higher fares on certain routes.

Thailand Could Capture a Larger Share of Chinese Tourism

Thailand’s position at the centre of the latest travel shift could have wider implications for its tourism economy.

Bangkok does not function only as a city destination. It also operates as an important connecting point for travellers continuing to resort areas and other parts of the country.

More air capacity from China therefore has the potential to distribute visitors across Thailand’s tourism network.

Hotels, restaurants, shopping centres, attractions, transport operators and entertainment businesses could all benefit from increased Chinese visitor spending during the National Day period.

Thailand’s performance also reflects the broader competitiveness of Southeast Asia as countries across the region expand connectivity with major Chinese cities.

China Prepares for 2.13 Billion Domestic Journeys

China’s outbound travel surge is occurring alongside an even larger domestic movement.

The Ministry of Transport expects approximately 2.13 billion domestic journeys during the seven-day National Day holiday.

That would amount to roughly 300 million journeys every day, around 70 per cent above normal traffic levels.

October 1 was forecast to become the busiest day of the holiday, with as many as 340 million journeys taking place across the country.

More than 90 per cent of the holiday journeys are expected to be made by road, including millions of private vehicle trips.

Expressway tolls are being waived for passenger vehicles with seven seats or fewer between October 1 and October 7, helping support road travel.

Rail Networks Expand Capacity for the Holiday Rush

Rail transport is another major component of the holiday movement.

China Railway Beijing Group expects to handle approximately 22.32 million passenger journeys during its extended holiday transport period from September 23 to October 8.

October 1 was expected to be its busiest day, with around 1.79 million passenger journeys.

Additional rail and airline services have been introduced to manage demand as travellers move between major cities, tourism destinations and family locations.

The scale of the transport operation demonstrates how National Day remains one of China’s most important travel periods.

Tourism Spending Campaign Adds New Momentum

China is also attempting to convert enormous passenger movements into stronger tourism consumption.

A nationwide tourism spending campaign is running from late September until the end of October.

Local governments plan to organise more than 20,000 cultural and tourism activities while distributing over 310 million yuan in consumer vouchers and subsidies.

These programmes are designed to stimulate spending across attractions, accommodation, dining, entertainment and other tourism-related sectors.

Together, stronger domestic movement and rising international bookings demonstrate the scale of China’s 2026 holiday travel market.

Thailand tops China’s 2026 National Day travel boom with Bangkok as the preferred overseas destination, while increasing flight capacity and strong demand is also sending Southeast Asia up the list of Chinese holidays.

Thailand has emerged at the forefront of the outbound shift. Bangkok’s leading position, combined with a 20 per cent increase in flights to key Southeast Asian countries, shows how rapidly regional travel patterns are evolving. As Chinese tourists spread across Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia and other destinations, Southeast Asia is securing a larger role in one of Asia’s most important holiday travel periods.