Chinese Overseas Travel on the Rise, Japan Set to Halve... Korea's Popularity Continues

More Countries Allow Visa-Free Entry
Yuan Appreciation Lowers Travel Costs

On September 29 last year, a group of Chinese tourists arriving through Incheon Port International Cruise Terminal are boarding a bus. Photo by Yonhap News

As demand for overseas travel from China continues to grow in 2026, the trend of avoiding travel to Japan is expected to persist. Korea is projected to remain one of the most popular tourist destinations this year, following its top ranking last year.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on January 12, China Trading Desk, a travel marketing and technology company, forecasts that the number of overseas trips by Chinese travelers this year will reach between 165 million and 175 million. This represents an increase of 10 million to 20 million trips compared to last year's estimate of 155 million.

SCMP analyzed that travel demand is being stimulated as countries such as Russia, T?rkiye, and Cambodia implement or plan to implement visa-free policies for Chinese visitors, thereby lowering entry barriers. The company predicts that Russia, which allowed visa-free entry for Chinese nationals in December last year, will become one of the major tourist destinations this year.

In addition, the recent strengthening of the yuan is seen as having the effect of relatively lowering travel costs. According to Morningstar, the yuan traded at 6.98 per dollar as of today, a 4.81% increase in value compared to 7.33 yuan a year ago.

For the time being, the trend of avoiding travel to Japan due to deteriorating China-Japan relations is expected to continue. According to a recent survey by China Trading Desk, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan this year is projected to be between 4.8 million and 5.8 million, about half of last year's figure of 9.3 million.

Meanwhile, the most popular travel destinations among Chinese tourists are expected to be Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand, all of which are easily accessible within Asia. Korea, in particular, benefited from increased demand as an alternative to Japan following the deterioration of China-Japan relations after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks in November last year about potential involvement in Taiwan in an emergency, along with Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam.