Trip.com Group data shows Sydney was one of the top destinations for Chinese travellers during the Golden Week and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays.
Earlier departures and longer trips were planned by Chinese workers, with many taking three days off to extend their getaways into a 13-day break by combining the two national holidays into one.
China's Mid-Autumn Festival was held on Friday, 25 September, while National Day Golden Week ran from Thursday, 1 October to Wednesday, 7 October.
More than half of outbound flight bookings made on Trip.com were for departures before the official holiday commenced on 1 October, with daily departure volume peaks on 25 and 30 September.
Bookings for hotel stays of seven nights and more saw a year-on-year rise of 123 per cent.
Similarly, long-haul flight bookings saw double-digit year-on-year growth, with demand concentrating among gateway cities in Europe, Australia and the United States.
As Chinese travellers ventured further, multi-destination trips experienced a surge in demand. Bookings for multi-destination itineraries rose by 84 per cent year-on-year, reflecting a growing trend to maximise long-haul travel across multiple cities.
Popular combinations included Singapore - Bali, Hong Kong - Sydney, and Amsterdam - Milan.
According to International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, flight bookings from China to Australia for October 2026 were up 19 per cent compared to October 2025.
Tourism Research Australia data shows NSW welcomed 4.1 million international visitors in the year ending June 2026, up 5.8 per cent year-on-year. China was the state’s largest international source market for visitors.
International visitor expenditure rose 14.5 per cent year-on-year to $15.1 billion, driven by strong growth in visitors and expenditure from China.
