Golden Week 2026: Travelers Extend Breaks for Global Exploration

The holiday rush is expected to begin as early as September 25, with more than half of all outbound flight bookings scheduled before the official start on October 1. Data from Trip.com Group indicates that travelers are increasingly prioritizing extended stays, with hotel bookings for seven nights or more climbing 123% year-on-year. This trend is particularly evident in long-haul travel to Europe, Australia, and the United States, as tourists move beyond single-city visits to maximize their time abroad.

Multi-destination itineraries have seen an 84% spike in demand, with popular pairings such as Singapore-Bali and Amsterdam-Milan. Younger generations, specifically Gen Z travelers, are at the forefront of this shift, showing significant interest in nature-focused getaways and secondary destinations like New Zealand's Queenstown and Auckland. Meanwhile, Seoul has emerged as the top global holiday destination, recording a 91% increase in flight bookings. The overlapping of China’s Golden Week with South Korea’s Chuseok festival is further amplifying regional travel, driving strong cross-border exchanges between the two nations.