Mid-Autumn Festival Long Weekend Domestic Tourism Interest Doubles! Agoda Reveals Taiwanese Head for the Mountains and Seas, Green Island Searches Increase 4.5x

SINGAPORE, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- With the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend right around the corner, Taiwanese travelers are increasingly eager to stay local and enjoy a well-deserved break. The latest insights from digital travel platform Agoda shows that domestic accommodation searches for the 2026 Mid-Autumn long weekend from 25 to 28 September have doubled compared to the same holiday period last year. Beyond staple favorites like Taipei, Yilan, and Tainan, outlying islands and eastern destinations—including Green Island, Penghu, Hualien, and Taitung—have recorded eye-catching growth in travel interest, signaling a clear shift in preferences toward mountain and coastal getaways for this year's Mid-Autumn travels.

Urban centers and coastal escapes lead Mid-Autumn holiday preferences

According to Agoda data, the top five domestic destinations by search volume for this year's Mid-Autumn long weekend are Taipei, Yilan, Tainan, Hualien, and Taichung. Coastal destinations like Hualien appeal to domestic travelers as a scenic and slow-paced getaway with easy access to nature, including the famous Taroko Gorge National Park nearby. In addition, Hualien's local "Travel in Sea Style" initiative, led by a cooperative of 12 Indigenous communities along Taiwan's East Coast, offers travelers the opportunity to participate in tours and experiences focused on foraging, fishing, and traditional lifestyles. Meanwhile, Yilan, located near the Greater Taipei area, boasts soothing hot springs, coastal scenery, and local delicacies, making it an ideal weekend retreat.

City break destinations also emerged among the most-searched domestic destinations for the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend. Tainan's autumn lineup features exciting events such as the Guanziling Hot Spring and Food Festival, the Confucius Temple Cultural Festival, Cultural Heritage Month, and Art in the Neighborhood, providing a full spectrum of experiences from hot spring soaking and local cuisine to historical immersion. Meanwhile, Taipei will host the Shopping District Carnival: Taipei Life Festival during the holiday period alongside Taipei Fashion Week, offering many opportunities for urban retail, dining, and culture. Taichung is also set to boost autumn city tourism with major events like the Taichung International Dance Carnival in September.

Heading to the Mountains and Seas! Green Island, Penghu, Hualien, and Taitung Emerge as Rising Stars

Agoda also reports that outlying islands, eastern regions, and coastal destinations are taking center stage this Mid-Autumn Festival. Green Island saw the highest increase in domestic travel interest, with accommodation searches rising 4.5x compared to last year's holiday period. Penghu followed with a nearly 4-fold increase in searches, while Hualien and Taitung both saw a near-triple growth in searches, underscoring a distinct preference among holidaymakers for island getaways and nature-centric travels.

Late September brings a comfortable transition from summer to autumn, making outdoor activities and slow-paced itineraries far more pleasant than in the scorching mid-summer heat. Coupled with the extended weekend, destinations requiring longer travel times become much easier to plan. Beyond Eastern Taiwan and the offshore islands, Pingtung also saw a 2.5x increase in accommodation searches, further reflecting how Mid-Autumn travel enthusiasm is extending from popular urban centers into nature, coastal, and slow-travel destinations.

Jishan Chai, Country Director for Taiwan at Agoda said: "Accommodation search trends for this year's Mid-Autumn long weekend show a noticeable rise in Taiwanese travelers' enthusiasm for domestic tourism, particularly across offshore islands, Eastern Taiwan, and coastal areas. The long weekend gives travelers extra time to explore destinations that are harder to squeeze into a regular weekend, whether it's an island retreat, a mountain-and-sea escape, or an urban dive into local food and culture. Agoda looks forward to helping travelers effortlessly plan their Mid-Autumn holidays through our one-stop platform offering accommodation, flights, and activities."

Agoda currently offers over 6 million accommodations, 130,000 flight routes, and 300,000 travel activities worldwide. Travelers can plan their next journey seamlessly via the Agoda website or app.

SOURCE Agoda