Chinese Tourist Surge Hits Australia During Golden Week: 19% Jump in Flight Bookings

Australia welcomed a record influx of Chinese tourists during China’s Golden Week holiday from October 1 to 7, 2026. Flight bookings from China to Australia jumped 19% compared to October 2025, according to International Air Transport Association data. The holiday coincided with the Mid-Autumn Festival, giving Chinese workers 13 days off and driving longer trips and multi-destination itineraries. NSW recorded $15.1 billion in international visitor expenditure, up 14.5% year-on-year, with China as the state’s largest international source market.

Record bookings and extended stays

Chinese travellers booked longer and further trips than usual during the October holidays. Hotel stays of seven nights or more surged 123% year-on-year, while long-haul flight bookings showed double-digit growth. More than half of outbound flight bookings on Trip.com were made before the official October 1 start date, with peaks on September 25 and 30. Multi-destination itineraries jumped 84% year-on-year, with popular combinations including Hong Kong-Sydney and Singapore-Bali.

Sydney and regional destinations overwhelmed

Sydney ranked among the top destinations for Chinese travellers during Golden Week, according to Trip.com Group data. Tourist Fei Chang reported that at some Whitsundays spots, “it felt like I could almost speak Mandarin to everyone.” Travel agent Zhang Cheng of Great Wall Travel Services said her Melbourne agency was fully booked with two-day Great Ocean Road tours and saw a surge in bookings over the past week.

China’s recovery below pre-pandemic levels

Australia recorded 1.04 million visitors from China in 2025, up 17% year-on-year, but still below the 1.4 million visitors in 2019 before COVID-19. Austrade data showed only 70,205 visitors took Approved Destination Status group trips in the 2026 financial year, compared with more than 300,000 in 2019. Travellers now prefer quality trips in small groups or self-driven road trips rather than large group tours.

Spending patterns shift toward experience and flexibility

Chinese visitors are spending more per trip despite lower overall visitor numbers. NSW international visitor expenditure hit $15.1 billion in the year ending June 2026, up 14.5% year-on-year. China was NSW’s largest international source market for visitors. The shift toward longer stays and multi-destination travel reflects changing preferences among Chinese tourists seeking flexible, experience-driven holidays rather than structured group packages.

Final Thoughts

The Golden Week surge signals Australia’s tourism recovery from COVID, though visitor numbers remain below 2019 peaks. With Chinese tourists now preferring longer, flexible trips over group tours, regional operators and accommodation providers face both opportunity and pressure to adapt their offerings.

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