China’s Golden Week 2025 Sees Japan Secure The Top Spot As Chinese Tourists Opt For Exclusive, High-end Holidays To Japan, South Korea, And Emerging Destinations

Published on October 4, 2025

During China’s Golden Week 2025, Japan has secured nan apical spot arsenic nan starring destination for Chinese tourists, driven by their penchant for exclusive, high-end holidays. This surge successful liking is mostly attributed to Japan’s operation of luxurious offerings, taste experiences, and favourable speech rates, which person made premium recreation much accessible. Additionally, Chinese visitors are progressively seeking personalized, unsocial experiences, making South Korea and emerging destinations successful Southeast Asia, specified arsenic Thailand and Vietnam, highly sought-after arsenic well. The emergence successful request for tailored recreation experiences, including backstage services and taste immersion, reflects a displacement successful nan recreation habits of Chinese tourists, who are prioritizing value complete quantity.

China’s “Golden Week 2025,” which aligns pinch nan Mid-Autumn Festival, has sparked a monolithic summation successful recreation some wrong China and internationally. Japan remains nan apical destination for Chinese tourists, continuing its power successful outbound tourism.

The Ministry of Transport estimates that 2.36 cardinal rider trips will beryllium made during nan National Day week, from October 1 to 8, 2025. This marks a 3.2% summation successful recreation compared to nan erstwhile year, pinch an mean of 295 cardinal trips per day. The mostly of these journeys will beryllium made by road, pinch 1.87 cardinal car journeys expected to relationship for 80% of nan total. The busiest recreation time will beryllium October 1, erstwhile rider numbers are predicted to transcend 340 million.

Chinese recreation platforms study a important surge successful some home and overseas recreation intentions. Domestic recreation has accrued by 30% compared to nan aforesaid play past year, while overseas recreation has jumped by 40%. Searches for world destinations during Golden Week 2025 person doubled from nan erstwhile year, pinch Chinese visitors showing liking successful a broader scope of locations.

The luxury recreation assemblage is besides experiencing beardown growth. Chinese visitors are progressively consenting to walk much connected premium experiences, specified arsenic staying successful four-star hotels and enjoying bespoke services. This displacement indicates a rising request for high-end recreation options, pinch travelers seeking much personalized and luxurious experiences.

One of nan astir notable trends during Golden Week 2025 is nan emergence of nan “Joy Economy.” This conception reflects a increasing desire among travelers to summation affectional worth from their trips, seeking experiences that create lasting memories pinch family and friends. Travelers are besides looking for photogenic spots, unsocial experiences, and opportunities for deeper taste immersion. This displacement highlights nan changing expectations of Chinese tourists, who are now much focused connected nan affectional and experiential aspects of recreation alternatively than conscionable nan destination itself.

Airbnb China reports that nan 10 most-searched world destinations for Golden Week 2025 see Japan, Italy, France, Spain, New Zealand, South Korea, Indonesia, Australia, nan United States, and nan United Kingdom. Japan continues to beryllium nan astir celebrated destination, boosted by a favorable speech complaint that has led to a 15% driblet successful recreation costs. This value driblet has made Japan moreover much charismatic to Chinese visitors looking for a premium recreation acquisition astatine a much affordable price.

South Korea has besides seen an uptick successful Chinese travelers, mostly owed to a caller visa argumentation that allows Chinese visitors walking successful groups of astatine slightest 3 to participate nan state without a visa for up to 15 days. This policy, which runs from September 29, 2025, to June 30, 2026, is expected to pull much Chinese group tours to South Korea, which has traditionally been a celebrated short-haul destination for Chinese tourists.

Chinese travelers proceed to favour long-haul and visa-free destinations. Southeast Asia remains a celebrated region, pinch Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia drafting sizeable interest. Thailand, successful particular, has emerged arsenic a favored destination owed to its visa exemptions and family-friendly offerings. In addition, recreation packages to Thailand and different Southeast Asian countries person go much affordable, pinch immoderate circuit routes priced 6% little than successful 2024.

Countries for illustration Laos are besides benefiting from nan accrued recreation demand, pinch nan China-Laos railway becoming an charismatic recreation option. Vietnam is seeing a boost successful visitors arsenic it enters its highest tourism play successful October. Among long-haul destinations, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are gaining popularity, while South Africa has knowledgeable a 30% summation successful Chinese arrivals pursuing nan preamble of e-visas.

In nan Middle East, destinations for illustration Qatar and nan United Arab Emirates are entering their highest recreation play this month. Meanwhile, European destinations specified arsenic France, Switzerland, and Spain person go progressively popular, pinch request for group tours rising by 110%. Australia and New Zealand stay beardown contenders, particularly for family travelers.

Travel operators are taking advantage of nan increasing request by focusing connected offering premium, unsocial experiences to cater to nan “Joy Economy.” Operators successful countries for illustration Thailand are adjusting their products to meet nan evolving expectations of Chinese tourists. These see providing curated taste experiences, offering high-quality photograph opportunities, and ensuring that trips are immersive and shareable.

To meet this demand, recreation companies are enhancing their offerings by promoting luxury services, specified arsenic backstage guides, backstage chefs, and exclusive carrier options. With Chinese visitors consenting to salary a premium for these experiences, operators tin summation their profits by creating bespoke recreation packages that align pinch these preferences.

In summation to offering premium experiences, recreation operators must guarantee that they are well-prepared for nan summation successful travelers. High crowd density during nan Golden Week will require effective guidance of home carrier systems and postulation flows. Tour operators must besides activity pinch section authorities to amended crowd-handling measures and guarantee that visitors tin easy entree celebrated attractions. For destinations for illustration Thailand, which are known for their earthy beauty and taste landmarks, operators should item scenic spots, wellness experiences, and taste immersion activities that are astir apt to resonate pinch Chinese visitors.

During China’s Golden Week 2025, Japan secures nan apical spot arsenic Chinese visitors opt for exclusive, high-end holidays, driven by luxury offerings, taste immersion, and favourable speech rates, while South Korea and emerging destinations emergence successful fame for their unique, bespoke recreation experiences.

As nan Golden Week 2025 approaches, some home and world recreation is group to soar. With nan emergence of nan “Joy Economy,” Chinese visitors are not only seeking caller destinations but are besides progressively focused connected enriching, memorable experiences. For recreation operators, this represents an breathtaking opportunity to cater to this evolving marketplace by offering much personalized, premium, and emotionally rewarding recreation packages.