Golden Week tourism revenue reached $40.4 billion
China’s 2026 Golden Week numbers confirm the full comeback of domestic travel. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported that during the National Day holiday in October 2025, 893 million domestic trips were made, generating 507.3 billion RMB (approximately $70 billion) in tourism revenue. That is a 6.3% increase over 2024 and marks the first time the figure clearly surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Widely cited on Weibo and Douyin, these numbers reflect a confident consumer market returning to leisure travel at scale.
What Drove This Record?
A few clear factors pushed the numbers up in 2025-2026. Domestic destinations like Hainan, Yunnan, and Xinjiang saw sharp increases in bookings, driven largely by Xiaohongshu recommendations. Per capita spending rose: the average domestic tourist spent around 568 RMB per trip in 2025, up from 510 in 2024. Night economy events in Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu extended stay durations and boosted retail and food spending.
City-by-City Performance
- Shanghai: Online and offline retail spending topped 90 billion RMB during the week, up 4.1% year-on-year
- Beijing: Cultural site visits rose 12%, with the Palace Museum and the Summer Palace recording their highest single-day numbers since 2019
- Hainan: Duty-free sales reached 4.2 billion RMB, a 28% jump, as more travelers stayed within China
- Chengdu: Panda Base and Jinli Ancient Street attracted 6.8 million visits over the seven days
- Xi’an: Terracotta Army site visits crossed 200,000 per day, driven heavily by under-35 tourists discovering the destination via Douyin
Golden Week Tourism Revenue: Key Data 2022 to 2026
| Year | Domestic Trips | Tourism Revenue | vs 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 422 million | 287.2 billion RMB | -56.8% |
| 2023 | 826 million | 753.4 billion RMB | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 850 million | 864.9 billion RMB | +7.9% |
| 2025 | 893 million | 507.3 billion RMB (National Day week) | +11.2% |
| 2026 Spring Festival | 501 million | 680 billion RMB | +14.3% |
How to Reach Travelers on Xiaohongshu (RedNote) During Golden Week
1. Start pre-holiday content 4 weeks out. Chinese travelers plan well in advance. Posts about “Golden Week destinations” on Xiaohongshu peak 6-8 weeks before the holiday. Brands that post early get indexed and recommended when search volume spikes.
2. Use “hidden gem” framing. Content titled “小众目的地” (lesser-known destinations) consistently outperforms generic promotional posts. Chinese travelers distrust anything that looks like an ad. Position your destination as a discovery.
3. Post real visitor photos, not stock images. Xiaohongshu’s algorithm rewards authentic UGC-style content. Work with micro-KOLs who have visited your destination and can post honest, detailed reviews with personal photos.
4. Include practical logistics. Transport options, entry fees, best time of day to visit, what to eat nearby: Xiaohongshu users want the full picture. Posts that answer these questions get saved, and saves are the platform’s strongest ranking signal.
5. Build a review base before the holiday. Listings with 50+ detailed comments outperform those with 10. Run a small seeding campaign 6 weeks ahead of Golden Week to build your review volume.
How to Reach Travelers on Douyin During Golden Week
6. Post short travel clips under 30 seconds. Douyin’s algorithm currently favors 15-28 second clips for travel content. Show the most visually striking moment of the destination in the first 3 seconds.
7. Use Golden Week hashtags early. #国庆出游 (National Day travel) and #黄金周旅行 (Golden Week travel) accumulate millions of views in the two weeks before the holiday. Content posted into these tags early gets carried by the traffic surge.
8. Partner with travel KOLs who show the “behind the scenes.” Preparation videos, packing for the trip, arriving at the airport: this format drives strong engagement and works even for destinations that are not visually spectacular on their own.
9. Run a Douyin ad campaign with location targeting. Douyin’s ad tools let you target by city and by interest. A well-targeted campaign during Golden Week planning season can drive direct bookings at a lower cost per acquisition than search ads.
10. Feature Chinese payment methods. Any video mentioning WeChat Pay or Alipay acceptance generates comments. Chinese tourists actively look for this information before booking. Include it in your content.
Example Found on Chinese Web (Translated)
“We booked Xi’an last minute, three days before National Day. Xiaohongshu said avoid the Terracotta Army in the morning, go after 3pm. Crowds were still big but manageable. The night show at the city wall was the real highlight. 10/10 would go back during a non-holiday week.”
— Weibo travel user, October 2025
FAQ
When do Chinese tourists book Golden Week travel?
Most bookings happen 3-6 weeks before the holiday. Content and campaigns need to be live before that window opens.
Which platforms do Chinese tourists use to plan trips?
Xiaohongshu for destination discovery, Ctrip and Fliggy for booking, Douyin for inspiration, WeChat for group coordination.
How much do Chinese tourists spend during Golden Week?
Domestic per capita spending averaged around 568 RMB per trip in 2025. Outbound travelers spend significantly more: average outbound trip spend exceeded 12,000 RMB in the same period.
Is Golden Week only in October?
No. China has two Golden Weeks: National Day (October 1-7) and Spring Festival (January or February, dates vary). Both generate comparable travel volumes, but Spring Festival sees more outbound travel.
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Your Destination Needs to Be Visible During Golden Week Planning Season
Chinese tourists decide where to go weeks before the holiday, on Xiaohongshu and Douyin. If your destination is not in that conversation, you miss the booking window entirely. Chinese Tourist Agency helps hotels, tourism boards, and destination brands build a presence on the platforms that drive Golden Week decisions. We handle content strategy, KOL partnerships, and paid campaigns on Ctrip and Douyin. Talk to us before the next planning season opens.
Contact Chinese Tourist Agency
Oliver Verot is the founder of Chinese Tourist Agency, with over 15 years helping international destinations reach Chinese travelers through digital marketing. He tracks Chinese tourism data year-round and builds campaign strategies around peak travel periods.
