Bookings to 15 "new first-tier" cities grew more than twice as fast as bookings to Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou

SINGAPORE, Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Southeast Asian travelers are exploring a wider range of destinations across China, according to new Traveloka platform data.

Travelers across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are booking a broader range of cities in China. Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou remain the four most booked destinations, while cities beyond these established places accounted for a growing share of Traveloka transactions year-on-year.

Qingdao is the clearest case, with bookings to the port city growing year-on-year in all five markets, lifting it six places to tenth — the largest climb inside the top twenty, and in line with data in the Q2 Traveloka SEA Index. Other notable climbers include Kunming, Chongqing, and Harbin, reflecting growing travel interest in the unique offerings these lesser known cities hold.

China's Travel Map is Expanding

Most-booked China destinations across Traveloka's five markets, January 1 to August 31, 2026. Movement compares the same period in 2025.

Traveloka's findings reflect a broader shift in how international visitors are exploring China. Xinhua has reported that overseas travelers are increasingly looking beyond Beijing and Shanghai, supported by easier transport and a growing range of tourism products and experiences.

China's domestic research provides another view of the cities becoming more prominent. Yicai's 2025 Cities' Attractiveness Index classifies Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Xi'an and Wuhan among 15 "new first tier" cities, based on measures including commercial resources, connectivity, urban vitality and future potential.

Traveloka data adds a Southeast Asian consumer perspective to that picture. From January to August 2026, combined flight and accommodation transactions to the 15 cities in Yicai's group grew more than twice as fast as transactions to Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou across the five Southeast Asian markets. The new first-tier group lifted its share of Traveloka's China bookings by 5 percentage points.

Search activity also increased across all five markets during the period, with the strongest growth recorded in Singapore and Malaysia. Search and transaction activity are separate signals, but both point to continued interest in China travel.

"China is no longer one itinerary for Southeast Asian travelers", said Alex Jung, Head of Marketing, Traveloka. "The familiar gateways remain important but travelers in each market are showing interest in a different mix of destinations. Traveloka brings this local understanding together with strong airline and accommodation supply, making more of China easier to discover and book in one place."

Responding to that demand, Traveloka has been working to partner closer with Chinese carriers, providing access to promotional fares and a wider selection of routes for its users. These airlines include China Southern, China Eastern, Air China, Xiamen Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines and Spring Airlines.

Traveloka's 10.10 Epic Sale runs from October 1 to 10 across Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Japan and South Korea, with a dedicated China push in the five Southeast Asian markets. Anchor offers include round-trip flights to China and Korea from a flat IDR 2,500,000 in Indonesia, up to THB 10,100 off China flights in Thailand, and S$100 off China flights in Singapore.

Full market-by-market offer details for all eight markets are available here.

About Traveloka

Traveloka is Southeast Asia's leading all-in-one travel platform, bringing flights, hotels, activities, travel insurance, and eSIM together in a single app. Founded in 2012, Traveloka now operates across Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. With over 140 million app downloads, Traveloka was named Best Travel App at the Sensor Tower APAC Awards. With access to over 2 million hotels worldwide and 24/7 live chat support, Traveloka's mission is to make travel more accessible and enjoyable for everyone across the region and beyond.