* According to Trip.com Group information, 62 percent of Europe-bound flight reservations from Sept. 25 to Oct. 7 were for departures before Sept. 30. The typical remain in Europe increased from 14.8 days in 2025 to 16.1 days.
* Tour guide Zhang Hongbo in Barcelona has actually discovered that Chinese visitors are progressively going to invest in quality dining establishments, mindful service and admission to historical structures they may as soon as have actually seen just from outdoors.
* Aviation consultancy CAPA stated in an April analysis that capability in between China and Western Europe had actually exceeded 2019 levels, driven by Chinese airline companies.
WARSAW, Oct. 12 (Xinhua)– For Chinese traveler Zou Yini and her good friends, a few of the best enjoyments of their National Day vacation in Europe originated from walking through Barcelona’s communities, searching stores, and tasting regional food.
After going to France, the 3 continued to the Spanish city, where they invested numerous days exploring its culture and enjoying its easygoing environment.
In China, this year’s travel window integrated 2 vacations separated by 3 days: the Mid-Autumn Festival from Sept. 25 to 27, and the National Day vacation from Oct. 1 to 7, providing enthusiastic tourists a possible 13-day vacation.
The prolonged travel duration sustained higher need for long-haul journeys to Europe, with some nations inviting more visitors than in 2015 and brand-new chances for services throughout the continent.
LONGER HOLIDAYS, WIDER HORIZONS
For European tourist organizations, this year’s vacation travel season started before Oct. 1, the very first day of China’s seven-day National Day vacation or Golden Week, as Chinese visitors triggered earlier and remained longer.
According to Trip.com Group information, 62 percent of Europe-bound flight reservations from Sept. 25 to Oct. 7 were for departures before Sept. 30. The typical remain in Europe increased from 14.8 days in 2025 to 16.1 days.
The longer vacation duration brought fresh company chances. In Italy, hotel reservations by Chinese tourists more than doubled year on year throughout the duration, while flight reservations increased more than 40 percent, according to Italy’s tourist market federation Federturismo, mentioning Trip.com Group information.
Interest likewise encompassed locations in Italy such as Bolzano, Sorrento and the Dolomites, providing tourists chances to integrate check outs to significant cities with mountain surroundings and local destinations.
France saw a comparable need. Mentioning Trip.com information, Tourism publication L’Echo touristique reported in September that hotel reservations in France by Chinese mainland tourists from Oct. 1 to 7, likewise referred to as the Golden Week, increased 129 percent year on year.
Paris stayed the primary draw, with reservations up 132 percent, however the 15 most-booked locations outside the capital published typical development of 123 percent. They consisted of Chamonix, Lyon, Strasbourg, Marseille, Bordeaux and Nice.
Need was likewise strong for arranged trips. Shanghai-based Spring Tour stated its Golden Week bundles covering Spain and Portugal, the Balkans, Northern Europe and Greece had actually offered out by mid-August.
An agent of the Association of Chinese Tour Guides in Hungary stated seven-day trips connecting Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria offered out by late August.
BEYOND LANDMARKS
The altering pattern of Chinese travel is likewise shown in how visitors invest their money and time.
In Paris, Chinese traveler Zhang Wen checked out the Louvre, however another experience provided a various viewpoint on the city: a musical walk through Montmartre.
Vocalist and guide Anne-Sophie Guerrier brought the community’s musical history to life through tunes and stories at the previous homes and efficiency places of French vocalists, and offered a Chinese-language manual for Chinese visitors.
“The combination of live performances, stories and the neighborhood’s historic atmosphere made the experience lively, romantic and memorable,” Zhang stated. “It offered me a different way to discover the culture and history of Paris.”
Tourist guide Zhang Hongbo in Barcelona has actually observed that Chinese visitors are progressively happy to invest in quality dining establishments, mindful service and admission to historical structures they may when have actually seen just from outdoors.
“Now a lot of people want to know more about Spanish culture: how people live, how they have fun, how they eat,” he stated.
In Switzerland, Chinese visitors are looking for a various type of experience.
A Shanghai traveler surnamed Zhao invested a number of days checking out the mountains in the Jungfrau area. Immersing himself in nature mattered more than just going to a long list of tourist attractions.
Tourist service providers are adjusting to these altering choices. Oliver Hammel, CEO of Jungfrau Railways, stated big Chinese trip groups had actually significantly paved the way to smaller sized groups considering that the pandemic, while independent travel had actually likewise grown. Numerous independent visitors now utilize travel passes to check out numerous tourist attractions throughout the area.
In the Balkans, trip operator Yang Xiaoliang stated his business served 329 Chinese visitors in 64 groups throughout the National Day vacation, with approximately about 5 tourists per group. Friends and families comprised a considerable share of consumers picking 8- to 10-day schedules.
The business’s plans integrate transportation and lodging with optional experiences such as white wine tasting, boat journeys, regional dining and cultural activities, enabling tourists to customize their costs to their interests.
ELEMENTS BEHIND TRAVEL BOOM
The most instant element behind the rise in long-haul travel was more time off than normal this year, making journeys including long flights and numerous locations more practical.
Gu Sui, basic supervisor of China Southern Airlines’ Spain workplace, stated taking additional day of rests around public vacations had actually spread out departures over a longer duration, alleviating blockage throughout the standard peak travel duration.
Longer stays likewise permit tourists to spread out the expense of global travel over more days of sightseeing and leisure, making far-off locations more beneficial.
Enhanced air connection was another aspect.
Air travel consultancy CAPA stated in an April analysis that capability in between China and Western Europe had actually exceeded 2019 levels, driven by Chinese airline companies.
Since early October, about 85 weekly continuously guest flights linked Germany with locations on the Chinese mainland, with Frankfurt accounting for approximately two-thirds of the overall.
This year’s brand-new services and increased frequencies consisted of Air China’s Frankfurt-Beijing Daxing path and China Southern’s Guangzhou-Urumqi-Frankfurt service, in addition to more regular flights in between Frankfurt and Shanghai.
In Croatia, Air China’s brand-new Beijing-Bucharest-Zagreb service opened another entrance for Chinese visitors.
Zagreb tape-recorded a 7 percent year-on-year boost in Chinese arrivals and an 8 percent increase in their over night remain in September, according to Martina Bienenfeld, director of the Zagreb Tourist Board.
“This is a very promising start, especially considering that only a few weeks have passed since the new route was established,” she stated.
European locations are likewise working to turn better connection into much deeper engagement with Chinese visitors. One example is the “More than 88 hours in Madrid” project, which motivates prolonged remain in the Spanish capital.
The Polish Tourism Organisation’s 2026 action strategy consists of upgrading a WeChat-based guide for independent tourists with interactive maps and tourist attraction info, along with pilot training and accreditation programs to assist hotels, dining establishments and destinations much better serve Chinese visitors.
The Zagreb Tourist Board preserves an existence in Beijing and Shanghai. It just recently promoted the Croatian capital’s year-round occasions and food in Beijing.
Zagreb is likewise showcasing an art setup at the Shanghai International Light Festival through mid-October, as the 2 cities mark 46 years of sister-city ties.
“All these activities, combined with the new air link, are vital components of our long-term strategy to position Zagreb in the Chinese market,” stated Bienenfeld.
(Video press reporters: Ma Ruxuan, Jiao Qian, Liu Haodong, Sun Xinjing, Yang Yating and He Canling; Video editors: Zhang Yueyuan, Luo Hui and Wang Han) ■
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