Golden Week 2025 & Beyond: What the Surge in Chinese Tourist Travel Means for Australian Retailers
Introduction
Golden Week 2025 has taken on renewed significance — combining both National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival into an extended 8-day “super holiday”. With travel restrictions lifted and outbound demand rebounding, this period is fast becoming a bellwether for global tourism trends. For Australian retailers, especially those in tourism zones (airports, shopping precincts, duty-free, luxury goods), this surge is an opportunity that must be understood — and acted on.
🇨🇳 Golden Week 2025: A Travel Boom Unleashed
According to China’s culture and tourism ministry, this Golden Week saw 888 million domestic trips, and total domestic spending surged to 809 billion yuan (~USD $113.5 billion). Reuters+1
The holiday’s overlap with the Mid-Autumn Festival extended the break, giving travelers more flexibility to plan international trips. CNA+1
Trip.com data shows outbound bookings for Golden Week 2025 posted triple-digit year-on-year growth, especially to destinations in Asia, Southeast Asia, and select long-haul markets. The Traveler
This “super holiday” has catalyzed Chinese tourists’ pent-up demand and emboldened them to plan farther ahead — exactly the type of momentum Australian retailers should align with.
🇦🇺 Australia in the Spotlight: Tourist Recovery & Retail Impact
In the year ending June 2025, Australia welcomed 7.8 million international trips, with total spend in Australia reaching AUD $55.4 billion — up 16% year-on-year and 22% above June 2019 levels. Tourism Research Australia
Retail spend is a substantial component of that growth, particularly in airports, tourist precincts, and iconic shopping districts.
Aviation capacity between China and Australia has expanded, and Australia was ranked among the top-performing medium-to-long-haul destinations during Chinese New Year in 2025, with strong Trip.com sales performance. tourism.australia.com
Market insights show rising travel from tier-2 and tier-3 Chinese cities, increased FIT (free independent travellers) over tour groups, and stronger interest in immersive, local experiences (food, culture, niche shopping). tourism.australia.com+1
These trends signal that Chinese tourist demand isn’t just returning — it's evolving. Retailers that can meet tourists where they plan, with discoverability and incentives, will capture outsized share.
How Retailers Should Respond
1. Be visible before arrival
If your store isn’t discoverable in the apps Chinese tourists use (Ctrip, Trip.com, Xiaohongshu), you miss the first chance to influence their decision.
2. Use incentives wisely
Cashback, discounts, gifts — these work when structured carefully. They drive foot traffic without costing you blind. Use them as a tool, not a blanket discount.
3. Adopt performance marketing
Only pay commission on actual sales. No traffic? No cost. This model aligns your interests with those of the travel platforms and gives you room to experiment.
4. Localisation builds trust
Present your brand in Chinese, support popular payment methods, ensure your listings are polished and accurate — tourists value reliability and clarity.
5. Pilot, measure, expand
Start with your highest-traffic stores (airport shops, city flagship, tourist precincts). Test offers, track conversion, then scale.
Why EchoBay Global
Through EchoBay — your local partner — we simplify the process of getting listed travel-platform channels. Once on those platforms, your store is shown to millions of tourists during their trip planning.
This isn’t about sending ads — it’s about being part of the journey tourists take even before they land.
Want to get started?
Curious how many tourists could walk past your storefront? Or how much extra revenue you could unlock?
Learn more at: www.echobay.com.au
Let’s have a chat about getting your store listed and reaching the next wave of travellers.
Read More From Source List:
China Ministry of Culture & Tourism: 888 million trips; 809 billion yuan spent during Golden Week 2025 Reuters
Channel News Asia: Golden Week outbound & inbound travel rebound CNA
The Traveler: “Record Golden Week 2025 Bookings Put Asia & Europe on Alert” The Traveler
Tourism Research Australia: International Visitor Survey — 7.8M trips, AUD 55.4B spend (year end June 2025) Tourism Research Australia
Tourism Australia / China Market Insights: Australia’s performance & travel trends in Chinese market tourism.australia.com
