Skydiving, whale watching and a burst of bookings as holidays extend for millions in China

In China, millions of people are set to enjoy a potentially record-breaking 13-day holiday break this year, thanks to an alignment of the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holiday. The longer break is expected to lead to longer and more complex trips, rather than merely a rise in daily spending, according to Subramania Bhatt, CEO of the marketing and technology firm China Trading Desk.

Some 50 universities and private companies in major cities have combined the two holidays into a single break, with many Chinese students and office workers now able to travel for up to 13 days. Domestic flight bookings for the period from September 25 to October 7 have already surpassed 8.58 million, marking a 10 per cent increase compared to the same time last year.

Longer air routes and hotel stays are also seeing higher bookings, with hotel stays for seven nights or more up 123 per cent compared to the same travel season in 2025. Multi-destination itineraries have increased by 84 per cent, particularly for trips to Europe and Southeast Asia, with Seoul being the top overseas holiday destination.

Chinese online travel platform Fliggy reported that Madagascar, Romania, and Slovenia were among the fastest growing "new" destinations overseas, while domestically, Chengdu, Urumqi, Kunming, and Sanya topped the rankings. However, not everyone will be able to take advantage of the full 13-day break, with some preferring shorter trips or focusing on work and health.

Despite this, the extended holiday period is expected to boost tourism, with local governments distributing more than 60 million yuan in travel vouchers to stimulate consumption.