Indonesia among popular Golden Week destinations for Chinese tourists
Travel agency Tuniu named Indonesia, Turkey and South Korea as popular overseas choices, while Japan had topped the list a year earlier.
Chinese travel agency Tuniu has identified Indonesia as one of the popular overseas destinations for China's Golden Week holiday beginning on 1 October 2026, according to Kyodo News. Turkey and South Korea were also among the destinations it named.
Japan had ranked first during the equivalent holiday period a year earlier. Golden Week runs from 1 to 7 October, while the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday lasted three days from 25 September.
The change in travel choices comes amid strained relations between China and Japan. In November 2025, China's government urged its citizens not to travel to Japan after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament that Japan could deploy defence forces if China attacked Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as its territory and says it will bring the island under its control, using force if necessary.
Figures from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) also showed fewer Chinese visitors. Arrivals from China in the first six months of 2026 fell 56.4 per cent compared with the corresponding period a year earlier.
