China Becomes Top Overseas Destination for South Korean Tourists During May Day Holiday

BEIJING, April 8, 2026 — China’s Ministry of Transport announced on April 6 that the total cross-regional passenger flow during this year’s Qingming Holiday (April 4 to 6) is expected to exceed 845 million person-times, fully releasing the vitality of domestic cultural and tourism consumption. As the Qingming Holiday draws to a close, booking enthusiasm for the May Day Holiday continues to surge, with China once again surpassing Japan to become the preferred overseas destination for South Korean tourists, according to China News Network.

Comprehensive reports from South Korean media including The Korea Economic Daily and Asia Daily on April 6 indicated that with South Korea designating May 1 as a statutory public holiday, overseas travel bookings for the May Day Holiday have warmed up significantly. China has firmly maintained its position as the top choice for South Korean outbound travelers, marking a notable recovery in China-South Korea cross-border tourism.

Data from Hana Tour, a major South Korean travel agency, showed that as the May Day Holiday approaches, inquiries about travel to the Greater China region, with China at its core, have continued to rise. For travel products departing between May 1 and 7, China accounts for approximately 30% of bookings, ranking first globally. Japan and Vietnam follow with 23% and 14% respectively, while bookings for China have increased by 8 percentage points compared with the same period last year, demonstrating a strong growth momentum.

South Korean media noted that China has overtaken Japan, which had long held the top spot, to become the preferred short-haul outbound destination for South Korean tourists. Industry analysts in South Korea explained that the May Day Holiday allows for 3 to 5 consecutive days off through leave combining, enhancing the cost-effectiveness of medium and short-haul routes with moderate flight times and driving the concentrated release of travel demand to China. Classic routes such as Zhangjiajie have regained popularity.

Driven by social media, themed products such as "Internet-famous check-in spots" and Shanghai food experiences have maintained high popularity, becoming key factors attracting South Korean tourists. Additionally, following the return of giant panda Fubao to China, South Korean travel agencies have launched panda-themed tour packages, further boosting travel enthusiasm to China.

South Korean tourists’ travel to China is gradually shifting from "first-time sightseeing" to "return visits". To adapt to this trend, South Korean travel enterprises are striving to optimize their product layout, focusing on expanding routes to emerging destinations such as Chongqing. Kim Min-jeong, product manager at Hana Tour, told The Korea Economic Daily that the company is launching high-end products by reducing shopping links and improving accommodation and service quality to attract middle-aged, elderly and family tourists, while increasing the supply of high-end routes to popular destinations like Beijing and Zhangjiajie.

The booming cross-border tourism between China and South Korea not only reflects the strong appeal of China’s cultural and tourism resources but also symbolizes the deepening people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. As travel demand continues to recover, the two sides are expected to strengthen cooperation in the tourism sector, injecting new vitality into bilateral cultural and economic exchanges.