Seoul ranked as the top overseas holiday destination globally for the upcoming Golden Week period, while flight bookings by Chinese travelers to Cebu rose 111 percent year-on-year, as longer breaks supported demand for several Asian gaming-linked destinations, according to Trip.com Group.
International flight bookings to Seoul increased 91 percent from a year earlier, the online travel services provider said. Bookings to the South Korean cities of Busan, Cheongju and Daegu recorded three-digit growth, while Incheon was among the secondary cities gaining popularity with travelers aged 18 to 24.
Cebu, a Philippine gaming destination, recorded the strongest disclosed increase among the Southeast Asian destinations highlighted for Chinese outbound travel. Flight bookings to Phuket rose 78 percent year-on-year.
Singapore also featured in one of the popular multi-destination itineraries, paired with Bali, while Hong Kong and Sydney formed another frequently booked combination. Trip.com said multi-destination itinerary bookings rose 84 percent year-on-year as travelers used the extended break to visit several cities.
Trip.com expects the holiday travel window to begin before the official October Golden Week period. More than half of outbound flight bookings were for departures before October 1st, with daily departure volumes expected to peak on September 25th and 30th.
Average outbound trip length exceeded nine days. With the Mid-Autumn Festival falling shortly before Golden Week, workers taking three days of leave can combine the two holidays into a 13-day break, Trip.com said.
The longer travel period is also supporting demand for extended stays. Hotel bookings of seven nights or more increased 123 percent year-on-year, while long-haul flight bookings were expected to post double-digit growth, with demand concentrated in gateway cities in Europe, Australia and the United States.
Nature and island destinations were another major part of the holiday mix. Searches for scenic trips and nature getaways rose 53 percent year-on-year, while Jeju and Bali ranked among the 10 most-booked flight destinations for outbound Chinese travelers.
