Travel demand surges for an eight day Golden Week
China is preparing for one of its busiest travel periods in years as the October Golden Week approaches. This year the National Day holiday merges with the Mid Autumn Festival, creating an eight day break from October 1 to October 8. Early indicators point to a sharp rise in trips at home and abroad, offering a timely lift for the service economy. China State Railway Group projects 219 million passenger trips on the rail network during the 12 day travel period from September 29 to October 10. That compares with 177 million rail trips over a 10 day window last year, when 21.4 million people traveled by train on October 1 alone. Ticket sales for the period have opened and transport operators are moving to add capacity.
Demand is broad based. Online platforms report that searches for domestic flights were up around 30 percent year on year in early September, while ticket prices are roughly in line with last year. Travel marketplaces also see strong intent across multiple modes. Bookings for flights, trains, and car rentals are all rising, with multi destination car rentals up 93 percent compared with the same period last year. Travelers appear keen to trade merchandise purchases for experiences, culture, and convenience, which helps explain the surge in one way rentals and flexible itineraries.
International travel momentum is building as well. Research tracking Chinese shopper and traveler behavior points to a new high after the pandemic for outbound journeys during the holiday, with 8 million to 10 million people expected to fly overseas. Accommodation searches are running several times higher than a year ago, and a sizeable share of travelers are setting big budgets for their trips. Many plan to focus on premium experiences, culinary exploration, and shopping for well known luxury brands. These patterns, paired with stable domestic airfares, set the stage for a busy holiday that carries through to hotels, restaurants, attractions, and duty free counters.
What makes 2025 different
Two calendar quirks shape this year’s Golden Week. First, the Mid Autumn Festival falls on October 6, after National Day, which extends the break to eight days. Second, the official schedule sets holiday dates from October 1 to October 8, with make up workdays on Sunday September 28 and Saturday October 11. Many employees will also attach annual leave to the official break, creating even longer windows for long distance family visits and overseas journeys. The result is a large wave at the start, followed by a broad spread of trips that last well beyond October 8.
How the holiday shifting works
China uses a system of shifting weekends to create continuous holiday blocks. In practice, workers get several statutory holiday days, then one or two nearby weekends are moved to become workdays. This produces a full week or more of time off and a predictable surge in travel. The approach helps millions coordinate reunions and long trips, but it also compresses demand into peak days. That is why tickets get snapped up when they first go on sale and why operators schedule extra trains and flights around the peak.
The cultural pull of Mid Autumn
The Mid Autumn Festival is one of the country’s most cherished traditions. Families gather to share mooncakes, admire the full moon, and celebrate togetherness. With the festival falling inside Golden Week this year, the incentive to travel home or meet relatives is especially strong. That tends to push demand for rail tickets and short haul flights even higher, while leisure destinations see extended stays as travelers combine family time with a getaway.
Where travelers are going
Inside China, big name cities and warm weather resorts top many lists. Beijing and Shanghai draw visitors with museums, historical sites, and modern attractions. Sanya on Hainan Island remains a top choice for beaches and tropical weather, while Shenzhen and Guangzhou lure families and shoppers with theme parks, dining, and entertainment. Hainan is also a magnet for value driven shoppers. Residents can buy duty free goods on the island with a yearly limit of 100,000 yuan, and full tax exemptions mean prices that can be up to 50 percent lower than mainland retail for select categories. Retailers have made it simpler to collect goods with instant delivery and buy now, pick up now services that are popular for cosmetics and beauty.
Rail remains the backbone of domestic travel and railways will run a peak timetable with an average of about 13,000 passenger trains each day during the holiday period. Trains are efficient and affordable, although they are crowded during the first days of October. Travelers who seek more flexibility often pivot to flights when rail seats are gone, especially for longer routes. Travel advisors recommend booking early, reserving attractions in advance, and considering less crowded destinations if schedules are tight.
Outbound picks shaping shopping and culture
Across the border, Japan is seeing a surge in interest, with Osaka leading growth among Chinese travelers. Tokyo and Kyoto remain favorites, while Seoul, Bali, and other Southeast Asian beach spots attract families and friends traveling together. Travel platforms also record rising interest in Europe, with long haul trips made possible by combining annual leave with the holiday week. Research focused on shopping behavior indicates that a large share of outbound travelers will set healthy budgets for luxury purchases abroad, with France and Italy leading for high fashion. In the short haul market, spending in South Korea is strong, and Switzerland posts the highest per user spending among European destinations for some wallet users.
Demographics help explain the pattern. Gen Z accounts for a large share of outbound travelers and tends to seek culture, entertainment, and lifestyle experiences, such as K pop themed activities in Korea and art focused itineraries in Japan. Millennials, many with higher incomes and children, skew toward premium shopping and curated dining. The combined effect lifts spending across aviation, hospitality, and retail, and it supports a wider set of regional hubs that cater to Chinese visitors.
Why this matters for the economy
Golden Week is a powerful spark for the service economy. Transport operators, hotels, restaurants, and attractions feel the impact first. Retailers, duty free operators, and small businesses in scenic towns benefit from the spillover. A big holiday can offset a quieter stretch in household goods and provide a lift to consumer sentiment. The scale is unique, with hundreds of millions of trips in a matter of days. When ticket prices hold steady, as early domestic airfare data suggests, more households can join in and spend on food, shows, and activities once they arrive.
Recent spending data around other 2025 holidays signal strong appetite. During the Labor Day break earlier this year, platforms that process cross border payments recorded sharp increases in both the number of transactions and total spending by travelers. Usage of local transport in overseas cities through Chinese digital wallets climbed, tax refunds processed through digital channels rose, and instant discount claims increased as travelers hunted for value. Those patterns tend to reappear during National Day week, and they point to a busy period for travel retail from Hainan’s malls to downtown flagships in Tokyo, Seoul, and Paris.
Digital payments smooth the journey
Payments have become much easier for Chinese travelers abroad and for visitors inside China. Through Alipay and its partner network, users of dozens of digital wallets can pay in more than 70 markets with their home wallet, without exchanging currency or handling cash. Many international travelers can also bind Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Discover, Diners Club International, or UnionPay cards to Alipay to ride subways, book hotels, and buy train tickets inside China. Features like real time tax refunds and tap to access services at stores and attractions cut queue times and reduce friction at checkout. These tools encourage more small purchases of public transit, snacks, and activities, which add up during a weeklong holiday.
How transport and airlines are preparing
Rail operators plan to add trains, extend service hours, and deploy extra staff to manage peak flows at major stations. China State Railway Group expects the heaviest load on October 1 and has introduced a peak timetable with an average of about 13,000 passenger trains per day through the travel window. Tickets for the earliest departure dates went on sale first, with later dates rolling out on a set schedule. Travelers should confirm departure stations carefully in large cities that have multiple rail hubs and arrive early to clear security lines.
Airlines are adjusting capacity and partnerships to capture demand. International carriers and Chinese airlines are expanding cooperation, adding seats and widening networks to connect Chinese cities with Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. For example, a deeper code share between Qatar Airways and China Southern broadens one stop options via Doha for travelers from Beijing Daxing and other major gateways. These steps help absorb the outbound wave while easing connections for inbound visitors during and after the holiday.
Tips to beat the rush
The holiday rewards early planning and smart routing. The following practical steps can help travelers save time and reduce stress.
- Lock in rail seats, flights, and hotels as early as possible. Set alerts for fare drops and act fast when tickets are released.
- Avoid the peak start, October 1 to October 3, if schedules allow. Depart late on September 30 or target midday departures from October 4 to October 6.
- Switch to flights when long rail routes sell out. Secondary airports sometimes have better availability.
- Pick less crowded sites or second tier cities for popular provinces. Local festivals often deliver the best value and experience.
- Pre book time slots for top attractions. Many require real name reservations and daily caps during Golden Week.
- Set up digital payments before departure. Chinese wallets work in many overseas cities, and visitors to China can bind international cards to Alipay for transit, tickets, and ride hailing.
- Carry your ID and keep a digital copy. Train travel in China uses real name ticketing and ID checks.
- Build buffer time into tight connections. Road traffic around stations and airports can be heavy.
- For Hainan duty free shopping, register with your ID, know the annual purchase limit, and compare prices across stores.
- Check local weather, especially in coastal provinces where autumn storms can bring delays.
What employers and workers should expect
The eight day break is one of the longest on the calendar, which brings both cultural obligations and staffing challenges. The official holiday dates are October 1 to October 8, with work rescheduled to Sunday September 28 and Saturday October 11. Under the standard working hour system, employees who work on statutory public holidays must receive at least 300 percent of the regular daily wage. In 2025 those statutory days include October 1 to October 3 and October 6. Work on the adjusted rest days, October 4 to October 5 and October 7 to October 8, typically requires either 200 percent pay or compensatory time off. Rules vary for comprehensive and non fixed work hour systems in different cities, so HR teams should confirm local requirements and record attendance and pay calculations carefully.
Production, logistics, and client services often slow during Golden Week because many suppliers, customs offices, and carriers operate on limited schedules. Companies can reduce disruptions by building buffer stock, adjusting delivery dates, and setting clear leave approval processes early. It also helps to be flexible about late returns, since train and flight delays are common during the peak. Recognizing the cultural importance of Mid Autumn family reunions can support morale during a period when many employees travel long distances to see relatives.
Background on Golden Week and its purpose
Golden Week was introduced in 1999 to expand domestic tourism, improve living standards, and make it easier for families to visit each other across long distances. Over time it became the biggest week for travel in China. The holiday system was reformed in 2007 to add traditional festivals such as the Dragon Boat Festival and Qingming Festival. The National Day Golden Week in early October remained a full week by shifting nearby weekends. The scale of travel has grown dramatically since the early years. Even during 2020, when health controls were in place, more than 600 million people traveled during the National Day holiday period and tourism revenue reached hundreds of billions of yuan. The 2025 calendar brings another large wave, and the integration of Mid Autumn into the October break makes the pull even stronger this year.
Highlights
- China’s October Golden Week runs October 1 to October 8 in 2025, combining National Day and Mid Autumn Festival.
- China State Railway Group expects 219 million rail passenger trips from September 29 to October 10, with a peak on October 1.
- Searches for domestic flights are up about 30 percent year on year, while prices are roughly flat with last year.
- Car rentals for multi destination trips have risen 93 percent compared with the same period last year.
- Outbound travel is forecast to reach 8 to 10 million travelers, with strong interest in Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
- Hainan’s duty free program remains a key draw, with a yearly purchase limit of 100,000 yuan and prices that can be up to 50 percent lower than mainland retail for select goods.
- Digital wallets ease payments at home and abroad, including public transit, ticketing, and real time tax refunds.
- The rail network plans an average of about 13,000 passenger trains daily during the travel window.
- The official schedule includes make up workdays on September 28 and October 11 to create the eight day break.
- Under the standard working hour system, work on October 1 to October 3 and October 6 requires at least 300 percent pay.
