China recorded 826 million domestic tourist trips during the October 1–7 Golden Week holiday, generating 738.38 billion yuan, or about $110 billion, in travel spending. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s official figures, released on October 9, underline the scale of the country’s holiday travel market.
On a comparable daily basis, domestic trips increased 6.3% from 2025, while spending rose 4.3%. Those growth rates describe daily averages rather than the entire holiday’s totals: this year’s National Day break lasted seven days, compared with eight last year. The trip count also measures journeys, rather than unique travellers.
Average spending per domestic trip nevertheless fell 1.9% to 893.92 yuan, about $133.51, from 911.04 yuan a year earlier, according to Reuters calculations. That was the lowest since 2022, showing that heavier daily travel traffic did not translate into higher spending on each trip.
The ministry also highlighted rural sightseeing, cultural experiences and evening attractions. Designated national night-time culture and tourism consumption areas recorded 107 million visits, up 5.6% year on year. During the wider National Day cultural and tourism consumption month, local authorities distributed more than 310 million yuan in consumer subsidies.
For hotels and tour operators, the figures suggest a busy market in which value still matters. We previously covered IHG’s student discounts and youth-focused offers in China. The Golden Week results reinforce the distinction between attracting more trips and persuading travellers to spend more on each stay or itinerary.
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