Mainland China is the top choice for Vietnamese tourists during the National Day holiday, overwhelming the number of airline ticket and hotel room bookings, according to the Trip.com platform.
The travel trend report on the National Day holiday of September 2 published by online travel platform Trip.com on August 25 shows that the mainland Chinese market accounts for nearly 40% of total international air ticket bookings and 63% of overseas hotel bookings of Vietnamese tourists on September 2. These indicators surpass a series of short-haul destinations familiar to Vietnamese tourists such as Korea, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan.
Visitors to China tend to stay longer and book more rooms per trip. Beijing is the leading destination in terms of air tickets. Hotel demand is spread across cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, Tongxiang, Beijing and Guangzhou.
Vietnamese tourists have a habit of booking entertainment services in advance when going to China. The Trip.com platform recognizes a one-day ticket to Shanghai Disney Resort theme park as one of the top international experiences chosen by Vietnamese tourists.
A group of Vietnamese tourists travel to Kieu Tu Snow Mountain, Yunnan, China. Image: Giang Huy
Mr. Pham Van Bay, Director of Vietravel Northern Retail Customer Center, said that China is the destination with many businesses recording the strongest growth, 20-40%. At Nam Thanh Travel, the number of tourists choosing China increased by about 40% over the same period in 2025, some tours are fully booked. Road tours of 5 days and 4 nights cost 3.6-7.9 million VND, while air tours cost about 15-40 million VND. Vietluxtour recorded an increase of about 35% in the number of tourists registering for tours in China compared to the same period last year.
The trend of increasing Vietnamese visitors to China has been recorded before. According to data published in July by the Chinese Immigration Administration (NIA), Vietnam ranked 4th in the top 10 markets sending the largest international visitors to China in the first half of 2026, surpassing many traditional markets such as the US, Japan and Australia.
Representatives of travel businesses said that the attraction of the Chinese market during the September 2 holiday received an additional boost from the loosened immigration policy. From August 20, Vietnamese citizens can transit without a visa for 240 hours (10 days) through 65 designated Chinese border gates and 30 days visa-free in Hainan province. Travelers need a valid ordinary passport and a connecting ticket confirming travel to a third country. During a maximum stay of 10 days, visitors are free to participate in short-term activities such as traveling, shopping, and visiting relatives.
According to Trip.com, foreign tourism is the main growth driver of the market during the September 2 holiday, with international airline ticket and hotel room bookings increasing by 44% and 123%, respectively. Hanoi is the largest international flight departure point (accounting for 55%), followed by Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong and Nha Trang.