(ECNS)-- The 2026 National Day Golden Week sustained high momentum in the ASEAN tourism market, with experiential activities such as island getaways, jungle ziplining, and paragliding capturing strong attention from Chinese travelers, according to the ASEAN Travel Hotlist released by the China-ASEAN Business and Trade Information Platform on Thursday.
Backed by big data from the Qunar travel platform, the hotlist is designed to provide analytical references for ASEAN countries to better receive and serve Chinese tourists, helping cultural and tourism departments and related industry players across the region keep abreast of Chinese tourists’ travel patterns and preferences, thereby offering decision-making support to share the dividends of China's outbound tourism market.
The inaugural list conducts a comprehensive analysis of Chinese tourists' booking behaviors for flights, hotels, and scenic spot tickets to ASEAN countries, compiling six major travel popularity rankings.
Popularity Index for Countries: Thailand and Malaysia take the lead
Mature air routes, diverse travel offerings, and relatively convenient Chinese-language services are the key reasons why these traditional popular destinations continue to be favored by Chinese tourists during this National Day holiday.
Data shows that Thailand ranked first in tourism popularity among ASEAN countries, with Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore ranking second to fifth, respectively.
Travel Popularity Growth: Cambodia, Vietnam see sharpest increases
While traditional popular destinations maintain steady momentum, several previously lower-profile destinations are rapidly heating up.
Data shows that during this year's National Day holiday, Cambodia's tourism popularity surged by approximately 1,221.7% month-on-month, leading the growth among all Southeast Asian destinations.
Popularity Index for Cities: Bangkok leads as Vietnam and Malaysia place multiple destinations in Top 30
On the city front, Chinese tourists traveling to ASEAN countries still largely favor popular cities and destinations, with demand spread across multiple locations.
Data shows that Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bali, and Phuket ranked as the top five most popular cities.
However, looking at the overall distribution of the Top 30, Chinese tourists are no longer concentrated solely in a handful of core cities.
For example, Vietnam secured seven entries—Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Da Lat, and Haiphong—ranking first among all countries in terms of representation, while Malaysia had six destinations entering the Top 30.
Additionally, island destinations including Bali, Phuket, Phu Quoc, Langkawi and Caticlan claimed multiple spots on the list, further highlighting that leisure resort getaways remain a top draw for Chinese tourists visiting ASEAN over the National Day holiday.
Attraction Popularity Index: Nusa Penida ranks first, experiential activities lead the rankings
When it comes to attraction popularity, Chinese travelers show particularly strong demand for experience-focused travel offerings.
Data shows Nusa Penida in Indonesia's Bali took first place in the attraction popularity ranking, with Universal Studios Singapore in second. Chiang Mai's Skyline Adventure jungle ziplines, the Phi Phi Islands and Bali's RIUG paragliding base rounded out the top five.
By country breakdown for listed sites, Thailand led the field with 16 attractions and experience activities featured — more entries than any other nation. Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia followed with seven, five and two entries, respectively. Island excursions, paragliding, jungle ziplining, night safaris, boat cruises and cooking classes all earned numerous placements on the chart, reflecting Chinese visitors' keen appetite for hands-on, interactive travel experiences.
Price Index: Singapore and Timor-Leste Record the Highest Levels
Looking beyond day-to-day consumer spending and focusing on the core cost of flights and accommodation, ASEAN destinations show marked differences in travel prices.
During the National Day holiday, Singapore ranked highest on the ASEAN price index, followed by Timor-Leste. Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand came next, while Laos had comparatively low combined flight and hotel costs.
It's important to note that this price index does not reflect tourists' actual per capita spending. Instead, it is based on average holiday flight and hotel rates during the National Day holiday and is intended primarily to compare relative travel costs across destinations.
京公网安备 11010202009201号