More Southeast Asians are flocking to China's Chongqing city. Social media hype is a big reason

A caller inclination is driving Southeast Asian tourists to China's Chongqing metropolis — viral societal media clips of monorails moving done a residential building, buildings perched atop hilly terrain, and a pedestrian span connected the 13th floor.

Flight bookings from Southeast Asia to Chongqing accrued much than sixfold during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, which fell connected May 31 this year, compared with the erstwhile year, Chinese online question level Fliggy told CNBC.

"In 2025 alone, we've captured a astir 12-fold surge successful request for Chongqing, compared to request for different cities," said Sarah Wan, Klook's wide manager for Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, successful an email. Demand doubled for different fashionable cities specified arsenic Beijing and Shanghai, and tripled for Chengdu, she added.

Chongqing has captured online attraction for its duality — it's location to earthy attractions specified arsenic the Three Gorges and the Dazu Rock Carvings, and futuristic architecture that inspired its nickname, "cyberpunk city."

That's partially due to the fact that young adults are turning to societal media for recommendations erstwhile readying their holidays, with 79% of millennial and Gen Z travelers doing so, according to Klook Travel Pulse research published successful February.

That was the lawsuit for Ong Chong Yu, a 24-year-old undergraduate astatine the National University of Singapore, and his friends, who wanted to sojourn the metropolis aft it "blew up" connected Douyin and TikTok for its "8D magic," which refers to the mode buildings beryllium connected the mountainous terrain of Chongqing, giving the metropolis a multi-dimensional appearance.

The Chinese connection and Chinese studies major, who is connected a pupil speech programme successful Beijing, visited Chongqing connected a play travel successful March. He said helium recovered the city's unsocial scenery astir memorable.

"[It] takes a ascent up and down the upland to get from 1 roadworthy to another, the archetypal level of 1 gathering mightiness beryllium the 15th level of another," Ong said.

Aside from societal media hype, an betterment successful amenities and a assortment of activities person contributed to the city's increasing popularity.

The wide scope of activities disposable for tourists means that "there is thing successful Chongqing for everyone," said Edmund Ong, elder determination manager of Southeast Asia astatine Trip.com, successful an email to CNBC.

"Older folks person agelong enjoyed Chongqing for its beauteous scenery, including the Yangtze River and Three Gorges, portion younger travelers person seen galore places determination spell viral connected societal media," helium added.

But it takes much than bully views to marque a bully holiday.

Although Chongqing has go much crowded since undergraduate Ong's past sojourn successful 2018, "the city's assemblage power is great," helium said, "so moving astir was rather orderly, which I americium impressed by."

The municipality has been focusing connected making question much convenient for tourists, said Gao Ling, director-general of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development, successful a interrogation translated from Mandarin by CNBC.

The municipality has invested much into the transport systems for those traveling successful and retired of the city. With much options to and from different large cities specified arsenic Beijing and Chengdu via aerial and train, the metropolis aims to marque introduction into Chongqing casual for tourists, Gao said successful an interrogation with CNBC conducted successful Mandarin.

Earlier this year, Chongqing besides established one-stop work centers successful large transit hubs specified arsenic its Jiangbei International Airport and Chongqing North railway station, Gao said. The centers supply luggage retention and accusation desks for travelers.

Young Southeast Asians whitethorn beryllium enticed to visit, partially due to the fact that of the region's proximity to China, Gao said.

Among countries successful Southeast Asia, Trip.com has seen the astir bookings to Chongqing from Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, which each bask visa-free question to China. Similarly, Klook has noted that tourists from Singapore and Malaysia pb income for tours in the region, with tourists from Thailand and Indonesia fueling demand.

The fig of edifice bookings to Chongqing from Thai travelers has besides risen much than fivefold, according to information provided by Fliggy.

But the hype isn't confined to Chongqing — question request is rising crossed cities successful mainland China.

According to the Klook Travel Pulse research study, mainland China is the apical "must-go destination" for millennial and Gen Z travelers — 2nd lone to Japan. The country's younker entreaty tin beryllium attributed partially to taste experiences specified arsenic themed photoshoots and unrecorded performances incorporating opus and dance, said Elvis Yap, question acquisition and plan planner for China astatine Singapore-based circuit bureau Dynasty Travel.

Themed photoshoots, successful which travelers formal up successful accepted outfits, person besides blown up connected societal media, fueling demand, Yap said. Foreign and section tourists alike station photos of themselves connected societal media, dressed up successful the accepted Han clothing, implicit with a wig and dense makeup, each of which are included successful the work that tourists purchase.

Another fashionable illustration is "gong yan," a multi-course banquet repast and show, during which customers tin formal up successful accepted outfits. It's "a batch much dynamic," with "high level taste arts" performances combined with the eating acquisition astatine an affordable price, Yap said, citing the spot of the Singapore dollar against the yuan.

But societal media isn't the lone origin — hospitality successful China has besides improved, with much charismatic services offered successful hotels and attractions, helium added.

"The different countries successful Asia person to ticker retired for the level of contention that China hospitality institutions are providing," Yap said.