China’s Extended Holiday Break Unleashes Overseas Tourism Growth as Europe Records a Surge in Travel Bookings

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China’s long holidays promote overseas tourism as record-long vacations fuel a 140% rise in U tour’s Europe travel bookings.

China’s extended Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays have seen increased demand for overseas travel, with Europe being the favored long-haul destination for Chinese tourists for the second consecutive year. The increase in the number of public holidays has prompted many Chinese people to take longer overseas vacations, whereas Europe-bound travel arrangements by U tour Group rose sharply by 140% compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, China has seen a rise in inbound tourism during the holiday as the country grants visa exemptions to a growing number of nationalities, encouraging overseas visitors to plan trips to the Asian nation.

China’s Extended Holidays Trigger a Strong Wave of International Tourism Growth

China’s combined Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday period generated considerable international tourism activity as travellers explored destinations across Europe, Asia, North America and Oceania. The longer holiday calendar created additional opportunities for overseas journeys, allowing visitors to spend more time exploring international destinations.

The increase in cross-border movements highlighted the importance of China’s holiday travel market to the wider tourism industry. International destinations experienced changing patterns of demand, while China’s domestic tourism sector continued to attract foreign visitors. The simultaneous growth in outbound and inbound movements demonstrated the expanding role of international travel during major Chinese holiday periods.

China Records 15.46 Million Border Crossings During National Day Holidays

China registered approximately 15.46 million inbound and outbound border crossings between 1 and 7 October 2026, according to figures from the National Immigration Administration. This represented an increase of 6.7 per cent compared with the corresponding holiday period in 2025.

Chinese mainland residents accounted for 4.44 million outbound crossings, reflecting annual growth of 9.3 per cent. Foreign nationals made approximately 682,000 entries into China, an increase of 5.4 per cent.

These figures highlighted stronger international mobility during the festive period. However, border crossings measure movements rather than unique travellers, meaning the statistics should not be interpreted as the total number of individual tourists.

Extended Holiday Calendar Opens Opportunities for Longer Overseas Journeys

The arrangement of China’s 2026 holiday calendar played an important role in encouraging longer international trips. The Mid-Autumn Festival holiday took place from 25 to 27 September, followed by the National Day holiday period in early October.

By combining these holidays with three days of annual leave, travellers could arrange a continuous 13-day break. This extended travel window made longer international holidays more practical, particularly for destinations requiring substantial journey times.

The additional flexibility encouraged interest in long-haul tourism, including multi-destination itineraries and extended cultural holidays. European countries and destinations across North America and Oceania were among the markets benefiting from interest in longer overseas journeys.

Europe Emerges as a Major Winner With 140 Per Cent Growth in Travel Bookings

Europe became a particularly important destination for Chinese outbound tourism during the National Day holiday period. Beijing-based travel operator U tour Group reported a remarkable 140 per cent year-on-year increase in Europe-bound travel bookings.

European destinations represented nearly half of the company’s outbound holiday business, highlighting the region’s strong appeal among its customers.

The booking growth reflected greater interest in long-distance holidays and international experiences. European cities, cultural landmarks, historical attractions and scenic destinations offered opportunities for extended sightseeing itineraries.

The reported 140 per cent increase specifically relates to U tour Group’s European bookings and does not represent the overall growth rate of Chinese tourism across Europe.

Long-Haul Travel Demand Expands Across North America and Oceania

Beyond Europe, Chinese travellers also demonstrated interest in destinations across North America and Oceania. These markets attracted holidaymakers seeking longer international journeys and varied travel experiences.

The extended holiday period supported demand for trips that would otherwise be difficult to complete during shorter breaks. Travellers had greater flexibility to explore multiple destinations, visit cultural attractions and spend additional time overseas.

This pattern reflected a wider shift towards longer and more experience-focused international holidays. For tourism destinations, such travel preferences create opportunities to develop itineraries that combine heritage, natural attractions, city tourism and leisure activities.

Asian Tourism Markets Experience Changing Chinese Travel Preferences

While European travel bookings increased significantly, Chinese outbound tourism demand remained uneven across Asian destinations.

Japan dropped out of the ten most popular overseas destinations on travel booking platform Tuniu during the 2026 holiday period, after holding first place in the previous year’s rankings.

Meanwhile, Indonesia, Türkiye and South Korea were among the destinations attracting Chinese holidaymakers.

Figures attributed to the Japan National Tourism Organization indicated that arrivals from the Chinese mainland reached approximately 2.9 million during the first eight months of 2026, representing a reported decline of 56.7 per cent year on year.

The contrasting performances highlighted changing destination preferences and the increasingly competitive international tourism market.

China’s Inbound Tourism Strengthens as International Travel Bookings Increase

China also experienced stronger international visitor demand during the combined holiday period. Trip.com Group reported double-digit year-on-year growth in inbound travel bookings, with several overseas markets contributing to the increase.

The growth demonstrated rising interest in China as an international tourism destination, particularly during major national celebrations.

Foreign visitors explored opportunities to experience China’s historical landmarks, cultural attractions, urban destinations and seasonal events.

The increase in inbound bookings also reflected broader awareness of China’s tourism offerings across international markets. As overseas travellers became more familiar with Chinese destinations, the country continued to expand its appeal beyond established visitor segments.

Russia Leads Inbound Booking Growth as Britain, Malaysia and Canada Gain Momentum

Russia emerged as one of the strongest-performing inbound source markets during the extended holiday period. According to Trip.com Group, bookings from Russia increased by 173 per cent year on year.

Britain, Malaysia and Canada each recorded inbound booking growth exceeding 50 per cent.

These increases highlighted expanding international interest in visiting China from European, Asian and North American markets.

The booking figures demonstrated strong growth among the markets identified, although they did not establish the total number of visitors arriving from each country.

The geographical diversity of inbound demand also suggested opportunities for Chinese tourism destinations to reach a wider international audience through cultural tourism and destination promotion.

Visa-Free Entry Arrangements Help Strengthen China’s Tourism Accessibility

China’s visa-free entry arrangements continued to support international travel during the National Day holiday period.

Of the approximately 682,000 entries made by foreign nationals between 1 and 7 October, around 505,000 were visa-free entries, representing a 9.2 per cent increase compared with the previous year.

These figures highlighted the significance of simplified entry procedures for eligible international visitors.

Visa-free arrangements can make travel planning easier by reducing administrative requirements and improving accessibility for short-term visits.

Alongside entry facilitation, China’s growing visibility on international social media platforms has helped raise awareness of its tourism attractions, historical destinations and cultural experiences.

Together, these developments have supported greater international interest in visiting the country.

Cultural Celebrations and Digital Visibility Expand China’s Global Tourism Appeal

China’s National Day celebrations added another dimension to the country’s inbound tourism appeal. Public festivities, cultural programmes and seasonal attractions provided opportunities for overseas visitors to experience local traditions.

International social media exposure also contributed to awareness of Chinese destinations and holiday activities.

Meanwhile, the visible presence of Chinese tourists overseas became a prominent social media theme during the festive period. Videos recorded at Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, Italy, attracted attention after showing large numbers of Chinese visitors gathered at the popular sightseeing location.

The footage reflected the scale and visibility of Chinese international holiday travel, particularly at established European tourist attractions.

China’s Two-Way Tourism Growth Highlights Expanding Global Travel Opportunities

China’s extended holiday period demonstrated the growing importance of international travel in both directions. Outbound crossings by mainland residents increased by 9.3 per cent, while foreign national entries rose by 5.4 per cent during the National Day holiday.

Europe’s strong booking performance at U tour Group highlighted demand for long-haul overseas experiences, while increased inbound bookings from Russia, Britain, Malaysia and Canada illustrated China’s growing international tourism appeal.

The figures also showed that travel growth differed between destinations and booking platforms.

China’s extended Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays in 2026 have fuelled overseas tourism growth, as longer breaks encouraged travellers to explore international destinations, particularly Europe, where travel operator U tour Group reported a remarkable 140 per cent year-on-year surge in bookings.

Overall, extended holiday opportunities, changing travel preferences and simplified entry arrangements contributed to stronger cross-border tourism activity. These developments underline China’s continuing importance to international tourism markets and the opportunities created by growing demand for overseas holidays and inbound cultural travel.