China begins its National Day holiday from Oct. 1 to Oct. 7. Alongside massive domestic travel, growing demand for overseas trips is expected to bring a surge of Chinese tourists to South Korea's travel industry.
300 Million on the Move Each Day, Traffic Crunch Looms
According to China's Ministry of Transport on the 30th, cross-regional trips by Chinese travelers from Oct. 1 to Oct. 7 are projected to total 2.13 billion, counted on a cumulative basis. That works out to roughly 300 million trips a day.
The heaviest travel day is expected to be Oct. 1, the first day of the holiday, with an estimated 340 million trips. Highway traffic is projected at 71 million vehicles, 1.9 times the daily average in August.
Air passengers are expected to reach 31.9 million from Sept. 25 to Oct. 7. China's National Immigration Administration also forecast that inbound and outbound travelers would average 2.16 million a day during the period.
Ma Bing, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said at a recent news conference that flights are concentrated in major regions including southwestern, south-central and eastern China, that multiple new international routes have been planned, and that daily flights would peak at 20,000.
Demand for overseas travel is also expected to grow. According to the September 2026 China Travel Sentiment Report by Chinese market research firm Dragon Trail International, 32% of respondents planning an overseas trip this year said they would depart during the National Day holiday.
In particular, workers who take annual leave from Sept. 28 to Sept. 30 can string together up to 13 days off from the Mid-Autumn Festival through National Day, which is expected to lift demand for long-haul trips abroad.
Korea Ranks No. 1 Among Chinese Travelers' Overseas Destinations
By destination preference, South Korea accounted for the largest share at 20.1%, followed by Singapore at 6.6%, Japan at 6.0%, Hong Kong at 5.9% and Macau at 4.9%.
Trips of six to 10 days were the most common plan, cited by 46% of respondents. For spending per person including international transport and accommodation, 10,000 to 20,000 yuan (about 2.02 million to 4.04 million won) was the most common range at 28%.
In a golden holiday outlook from Chinese online travel platform Tongcheng, Seoul was also named among the 10 most popular overseas destinations, along with Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Istanbul, Sydney, Singapore, Bali, Ho Chi Minh City, London and Dubai. Umetrip likewise reported that Seoul ranked first among overseas destinations during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day period, up 50% from a year earlier.
South Korea's advantages include short flight times from major Chinese cities and a time difference of just one hour. Reluctance to travel to Japan amid tensions between China and Japan over the Taiwan issue is also seen as boosting demand for trips to Korea.
The won-yuan exchange rate, at about 202 won, has risen about 20 won from three years ago, another factor easing travel costs for Chinese tourists.
Incheon International Airport is preparing for an average of 49,500 to 55,000 foreign arrivals a day from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3.
