China’s Golden Week 2026: Chinese travellers look to Europe
Data from the 2026 Golden Week points to growing outbound activity, stronger European bookings and longer itineraries.
A promising signal for European destinations and tourism businesses.
Outbound momentum confirmed
China’s National Immigration Administration recorded 4.444 million outbound trips by mainland residents during the Golden Week, up 9.3% year on year.
This includes different travel purposes and trips to Hong Kong and Macao, so it measures broader outbound activity rather than overseas tourism alone.
Post-holiday platform data, reported by Xinhua, also showed double-digit year-on-year growth in Chinese travellers’ bookings to Europe.
Italy: growth across flights and hotels
Flight bookings from mainland China to Italy increased by more than 40% year on year ahead of Golden Week. Hotel bookings recorded triple-digit growth on a daily-average basis: Rome +205%, Florence +145% and Venice +139%.
Spain: demand extends beyond the gateways
Spain ranked as the second most-booked European destination in the platform data, behind Italy.
Hotel bookings increased by 145% in Barcelona and 124% in Madrid, alongside strong growth in Málaga (+145%), Granada (+133%) and Seville (+118%).
France: Paris and regional destinations grow together
France ranked fourth in combined flight and hotel bookings, behind Italy, Spain and the UK.
Hotel bookings from mainland China increased by 129% on a daily-average basis. Paris recorded +132%, while the 15 most-booked destinations outside the capital collectively grew by 123%. Chamonix-Mont-Blanc stood out at +255.6%, followed by Lyon at +190%.
Longer stays
Travellers are making more time for Europe. Advance booking data showed that the average European round-trip duration increased from 14.8 to 16.1 days (+8.8%).
Among outbound travellers booking vacation products, the share choosing itineraries of eight days or longer rose from approximately 29% in 2024 to 42% in 2026.
What it means for European destinations
For destinations and tourism businesses, the opportunity lies in attracting these visitors and serving longer, more varied journeys.
Connecting gateway cities with regional culture, food and nature experiences gives travellers more reasons to explore and stay. Clear information, convenient transport and accessible booking help turn that interest into a rewarding trip.
