As Sino-Japanese diplomatic tensions escalate, Beijing's call for citizens to avoid traveling to Japan is directly impacting tourism trends, with many Chinese tourists who originally planned trips to Japan now turning their sights to South Korea. The latest platform data shows Seoul has risen to become the most popular overseas destination for Chinese travelers.
According to Chinese travel platform Qunar, Seoul ranked first in international flight bookings as of the 15th to 16th; at the same time, searches for Singapore, Sydney, and Bali increased by over 10% compared to the previous week. Previously more 'niche' destinations such as Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan also recorded growth in bookings of 36% and 21% respectively, signaling that Chinese travelers are diversifying their choice of destinations.
Yang Han, a researcher at Qunar Big Data Research Institute, analyzed that due to increased uncertainty surrounding travel to Japan, some tourists have chosen South Korea and Southeast Asian countries instead, driving up outbound demand during what is usually the off-season. Apart from South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, and cost-effective destinations like Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia remain popular among Chinese tourists.
With tourists redirecting their plans, Japan's tourism market may face an impact. Global Times reports that many large Chinese travel agencies have suspended group packages to Japan. A customer service staff member revealed that all types of group tours to Japan and related visa services have been removed from listings, and those who already booked trips can receive a full refund; there is no set date for resuming sales. A representative from a Shanghai travel agency also said that cancellations of group tours to Japan have exceeded 60%, with 'widespread cases of entire groups and flight tickets being canceled.'
According to data from the Japan Tourism Agency, Chinese tourists accounted for 21.2% of all overseas tourism income in Japan in 2024, with the third quarter of this year rising to 27.7%. As the wave of cancellations continues, the outlook for Japan's tourism industry is drawing close attention.