Airbnb: 2025 October Golden Week Outbound Travel Trends Report

Chinese searches for Airbnb properties in Greece over 2025’s National Day holiday increased by seven times compared to 2024. Photo: orva studio, Unsplash

Released on 10 September 2025, Airbnb’s report on Chinese outbound travel for the upcoming National Day holiday from 1-8 October highlights trends and developments based on searches by Chinese Airbnb users. Click here to read the original report (in Chinese).

On the whole, searches for Airbnb accommodation between 27 September-8 October 2025 were nearly double compared to the year before. Japan remained the top outbound destination for Airbnb searches, with Italy, France, Spain, New Zealand, South Korea, Indonesia, Australia, the US, and the UK also in the top 10. Half of the 20 most-searched cities were in Europe.

Trend 1: Diverse Destinations

Airbnb searches reveal that Chinese travelers are moving beyond traditional popular cities and setting their sights on emerging destinations. While Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto remained top destination cities in Japan, growth was higher for Fukuoka, which is becoming popular thanks to its unique culinary scene, according to the report. The Izu Peninsula, just a two-hour drive from Tokyo, saw its popularity more than double due to its diverse natural and leisure experiences. In Europe, searches for Italy, Spain, and France all more than doubled year-on-year. Even more impressive, searches for Airbnb properties in Greece shot up by seven times compared to last year, with a tenfold increase in searches for the Greek island of Crete.

Trend 2: Recharging in Nature

This October’s Golden Week, “slow travel” is in for many travelers. Seaside destinations are drawing travelers looking to relax and recharge. Interest in Okinawa has more than doubled since last year. Driven by its visa-free policy, Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island has seen a nearly seven-fold year-on-year increase. Searches for Mallorca, Spain were four times higher.

Other travelers are headed to the mountains and forests to enjoy autumn. Searches tripled for Trento in the Italian Dolomites, attracting outdoors enthusiasts. Bordering on Switzerland, the French region of Haute-Savoie also saw a four-fold increase in searches, with travelers attracted to its medieval villages and pristine Lake Annency.

Trend 3: See and Be Seen

In the age of social media, the photo potential of travel highly valued, especially for Gen-Z travelers. We can see this trend playing out with the popularity of cinematic destinations. Italy’s Amalfi Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, saw searches double year on year. The Czech Republic’s popularity tripled, particularly for Prague with its historic architecture and unique aesthetics.

At the same time, natural beauty is also a selling point for Gen-Z. Searches for Airbnbs around Lake Como in Italy were close to triple 2024’s volume. Queenstown, New Zealand nearly doubled in popularity as well, attracting travelers with its cinematic landscapes and adventure sports like bungee jumping and sky diving.