Global Media Focus｜China’s National Day Golden Week drives global tourism consumption

Recently, the popularity of Chinese tourists traveling abroad during the holidays has continued to attract attention from overseas media. Recent reports from media such as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and South Korea's "Daily Business" show that Chinese tourists not only travel longer and to farther destinations this year, but are also bringing new passenger flows and consumption opportunities to overseas travel markets such as Australia and South Korea.

Australia: Chinese tourists boost local tourism market during Golden Week

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on the 7th that Australia is one of the popular overseas tourist destinations during China’s National Day Golden Week this year. With the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holiday forming a holiday, the outbound travel radius of Chinese tourists has further expanded.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation quoted data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as saying that flight bookings from China to Australia in October 2026 increased by 19% compared with the same period in 2025. Australian tourism practitioners have also clearly felt the heat brought by the return of Chinese tourists. The person in charge of a travel agency in Melbourne said that the agency's bookings from Chinese tourists have increased significantly in the past week, and the two-day trip to the Great Ocean Road has been fully booked.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation also noticed that the way Chinese tourists travel is changing. Compared with the large group tours that were more common before, more tourists now prefer small-scale tours, self-driving and tourism products that focus more on experience and quality. The report quoted local travel practitioners as saying that Chinese tourists are now more inclined to choose "quality travel" and independent travel.

From the perspective of the Australian market, Chinese tourists are still of great significance. In 2025, Chinese tourists will be Australia's second largest source market of international tourists, with more than 1.1 million tourists visiting Australia throughout the year, a year-on-year increase of 18%.

South Korea: Chinese tourists have become an important source of tourists

The enthusiasm of Chinese tourists for outbound travel has also been transferred to the Korean market. South Korea's "Daily Business" reported on the 5th that driven by this year's holidays, Chinese tourists' demand for overseas travel has increased significantly, and South Korea has become one of the most popular overseas destinations for Chinese tourists.

During this year’s National Day holiday, Korean department stores, duty-free shops and convenience stores launched payment promotions and discounts for Chinese tourists. At the same time, the consumption patterns of Chinese tourists have also changed. Korean media have noticed that Chinese tourists are shifting from large groups and high-value shopping that were relatively concentrated in the past to more dispersed independent travel, experiential tourism and quality consumption.