- Bookings from Southeast Asia to China’s new first-tier cities grew more than twice as fast
- The share of these cities in China bookings rose by five percentage points
- Qingdao climbed six spots to break into the top 10 most-booked destinations
- Chongqing and Kunming both moved up two spots in regional rankings
- Visa-free policies and expanded connectivity drove the growth
Research by Traveloka has shown bookings from Southeast Asia to China’s new first-tier cities grew more than twice as fast as those to Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou between January and August 2026. The broader range of destinations has lifted the share of these cities in China bookings by five percentage points. Southeast Asian travellers are rapidly diversifying their destinations in China.
The coastal port city of Qingdao has seen the most dramatic surge and climbed six spots to break into the top 10 most-booked Chinese destinations across all monitored Southeast Asian markets. Chongqing and Kunming both moved up two spots in regional popularity rankings. Singaporean travellers booked trips to Changchun at three times the rate of other regional counterparts while heavily targeting cities including Harbin, Shenyang and Urumqi.
The research shows that favourable visa-free policies and mutual visa exemptions lowered barriers for spontaneous and short-term trips. Expanded direct flights and the integration of high-speed cross-border rail links made navigating non-traditional hubs highly convenient. Tourism boards increasingly marketed specialised regional experiences and shifted demand from purely city-based itineraries to cultural, historic and seasonal nature-focused travel.
