Recently, the surge in outbound travel enthusiasm among Chinese tourists during the holiday period has continued to draw attention from overseas media outlets.

Reports from outlets such as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and South Korea's Maeil Business Newspaper indicate that this year Chinese tourists are not only traveling for longer periods and to more distant destinations, but are also bringing new visitor flows and spending opportunities to overseas tourism markets including Australia and South Korea.

Australia: Golden Week Chinese Tourists Boost the Local Tourism Market

A report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on the 7th stated that Australia was one of the most popular overseas travel destinations during this year's Chinese National Day Golden Week.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays were joined together to form an extended break, the outbound travel radius of Chinese tourists further expanded.

Citing data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that flight bookings from China to Australia in October 2026 rose 19% compared with the same period in 2025.

Australian tourism operators have also clearly felt the heat brought by the return of Chinese tourists.

The head of a travel agency in Melbourne said that over the past week, bookings from Chinese-speaking tourists at the agency increased noticeably, and two-day tours to the Great Ocean Road were fully booked.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation also noted that the way Chinese tourists travel is changing.

Compared with the previously more common large group tours, more travelers now favor small-scale trips, self-driving, and tourism products that place greater emphasis on experience and quality.

The report, citing local travel industry practitioners, said that Chinese tourists now tend to choose "quality travel" and independent travel.

From the perspective of the Australian market, Chinese tourists remain highly significant.

In 2025, China was Australia's second-largest source market for international visitors, with more than 1.1 million visitors traveling to Australia for the year, up 18% year on year.

South Korea: Chinese Tourists Become an Important Source of Visitors

The enthusiasm of Chinese tourists for outbound travel has likewise carried over to the South Korean market.

A report by South Korea's Maeil Business Newspaper on the 5th stated that driven by this year's holiday, demand for overseas travel among Chinese tourists increased markedly, and South Korea became one of the most favored overseas destinations for Chinese tourists.

During this year's National Day holiday, South Korean department stores, duty-free shops, and convenience stores rolled out payment discounts and promotional offers targeting Chinese tourists.

At the same time, the spending patterns of Chinese tourists have also changed.

South Korean media noted that Chinese tourists are shifting away from the previously concentrated large group tours and high-value shopping toward more dispersed independent travel, experience-oriented tourism, and quality-focused consumption.