Booking volume for overseas trips by Chinese during this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday surged almost 2,000% from a year earlier, according to data from online travel agency Trip.com.
Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and the UK are among the most popular destinations traveling between Sept. 29 and Oct. 6, showed the data.
Online search volume for Thailand soared 800% after the country announced a five-month visa-free policy for Chinese tourists starting from Sept. 25.
Bookings for domestic trips surged nearly 600%, with Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou among the most popular destinations, according to Trip.com.
Flight bookings to Hangzhou during the holiday surged almost 500% from a year ago, while hotel bookings soared over 800%, thanks to the 19th Asian Games, which will be held in the city from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8. International flight bookings heading to Hangzhou during the Games soared over 21-fold year over year, with an over 300% jump in bookings for hotels near the event’s venues, according to Fliggy.