China’s Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day Golden Week holidays in late September and early October helped drive a surge in outbound tourism, benefiting destinations across Southeast Asia. Chinese travelers made 4.44 million outbound trips during October 1–7, up 9.3% year-on-year. According to Trip.com, Chinese flight bookings to Phuket and Cebu increased 78% and 111%, respectively, while Bali ranked among the platform’s most-booked destinations. Multi-destination bookings rose 84%, including itineraries connecting Singapore and Bali. Thailand also recorded a 41.98% week-on-week increase in Chinese arrivals during September 27–October 3.
Regional tourism authorities are strengthening promotional efforts to capture growing Chinese demand. Tourism Malaysia conducted an October 12–19 sales mission to four Chinese cities involving 72 tourism organizations, following 3.7 million Chinese visitor arrivals during January–August, up 13.4%. On October 13, Tourism Malaysia also partnered with Alipay+ to expand cross-border payments, digital marketing, and engagement with local businesses.
However, Chinese domestic tourism spending per trip fell 1.9% during Golden Week, highlighting continued consumer caution despite stronger travel demand. These trends underscore the growing importance of digital connectivity, destination diversification, and higher visitor spending as Southeast Asian countries compete for Chinese tourists.
