Qingdao has climbed into Thailand’s top 10 most-booked China destinations, with Dalian also climbing among Thailand’s most-booked China destinations and Jieyang, the airport serving the Chaoshan region, drawing a disproportionately large share of Thai bookings. Chengdu remains one of Thailand’s leading choices, while the overall range of cities booked has widened year-on-year.
Qingdao and Dalian Climb, While Jieyang Draws Outsized Interest
Traveloka data shows that between January and August 2026, Qingdao — a coastal city known for its German-colonial architecture and seafront promenades — climbed 11 places to become Thailand’s eighth most-booked China destination, with Thai travelers booking it at more than twice the five-market rate. Dalian also climbed 13 places over the same period.
Separately, Thais book Jieyang — the airport serving the Chaoshan cities of Chaozhou and Shantou, a region known for its distinctive cuisine and tea culture — more than three times as often as the rest of the region, the strongest pull toward any single city in any market Traveloka tracks. Chengdu remains one of Thailand’s leading China destinations at third, chosen at roughly one and a half times the five-market rate.
Southeast Asia’s China Travel Map is Expanding
The trend toward a wider range of destination choices is not limited to Thailand. It reflects a broader shift across Southeast Asia like Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, where travelers are booking a wider range of Chinese cities, although the destinations gaining ground differ by market.
Across the five Southeast Asian markets Traveloka tracks, combined flight and accommodation transactions to Yicai’s 15 “new first-tier cities” — including Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Xi’an and Wuhan — grew more than twice as fast between January and August 2026 as transactions to Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. The share of “new first-tier cities” in total China booking transactions on Traveloka also increased by five percentage points.
“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.”
Traveloka Accompanies Thai Travelers in Exploring China
To meet increasingly diverse demand, Traveloka is strengthening its partnerships with Chinese airlines, offering users more flight options and promotional fares. Its airline partners 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. In Thailand, travelers can access up to THB 10,100 off China flights, alongside sitewide coupons of up to 50% off and up to THB 1,010 off hotels and travel activities.
