Chinese Tourists Surge to Phuket, Chiang Mai During Golden Week 2026
Chinese tourists are booking Golden Week trips earlier and staying longer, with Phuket seeing flight bookings surge 78 percent as travelers extend vacations to up to 13 days by combining holidays with extra leave.
According to Trip.com Group data for Golden Week 2026, Chinese travelers are booking trips earlier and staying longer than in previous years. By taking just three extra vacation days alongside the Mid-Autumn Festival and Golden Week holidays, travelers can extend their time away to as long as 13 days. International travel began picking up momentum from September 25, with travelers averaging over nine days per trip.
Phuket is Thailand's standout destination, with flight bookings up 78 percent compared to the previous year, reflecting demand for beach travel and nature-based relaxation. Chiang Mai is simultaneously gaining traction among Gen Z travelers aged 18 to 24, joining secondary cities with standout growth in that demographic. Beyond Thailand, nature-focused and coastal destinations are trending strongly, with searches for "scenic trips" and "nature getaways" up 53 percent. Cebu and Phuket bookings specifically rose 111 percent and 78 percent respectively.
Longer stays are driving notable growth, with hotel bookings of seven nights or more surging 123 percent year-over-year, while long-haul flights are trending into double-digit growth, particularly to Europe, Australia, and the United States. Another standout trend is the "one trip, many cities" model, with multi-destination bookings climbing 84 percent as travelers maximize value from long-haul journeys by visiting multiple stops such as Singapore-Bali, Hong Kong-Sydney, and Amsterdam-Milan.
Gen Z travelers are driving demand toward nature-focused and secondary city destinations. Those aged 18 to 24 show the highest year-over-year booking growth, seeking experiences distinct from major tourist hubs. New Zealand stands out in this group, with Queenstown bookings up 314 percent and Auckland up 276 percent, while secondary cities like Incheon and Chiang Mai are also gaining ground. Globally, Seoul ranks as the top foreign destination overall, with flight bookings up 91 percent, followed by other South Korean cities—Busan, Jeonju, and Daegu—all seeing triple-digit growth. Japan remains an important destination for Asian travelers, as do Thailand, Malaysia, and South Korea.
For Thai outbound travel, Thai tourists are among key markets traveling to Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea during Golden Week, reflecting continued intra-Asia travel momentum during extended holidays. Golden Week 2026 thus reflects not simply more Chinese travelers, but changing behavior: faster bookings, longer stays, multi-city itineraries, and greater interest in nature and secondary cities. Thailand, particularly Phuket and Chiang Mai, remains pivotal to this evolving market of Chinese travelers.
