Chinese Overseas Travel on the Rise, Japan's Popularity Halved... Korea Remains a Top Destination

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 strong performance 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 made 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 are implementing or planning to implement visa-free policies for Chinese tourists, thereby lowering entry barriers. The company predicted that Russia, which allowed visa-free entry for Chinese travelers in December last year, will become one of the major tourist destinations this year.

Additionally, the recent strengthening of the yuan has been observed to have the effect of relatively lowering travel costs. According to Morningstar, the yuan was trading at 6.98 per US dollar as of this date, down 4.81% from 7.33 a year ago. This means the value of the yuan has increased by that amount.

For the time being, the trend of Chinese travelers avoiding 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 expected to be only 4.8 million to 5.8 million. This is about half the level of the previous year, which was 9.3 million.

Meanwhile, the most popular tourist destinations for Chinese travelers are expected to be Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand, which are also in Asia and offer easy access. Korea, in particular, benefited as an alternative to Japan after China-Japan relations worsened in November last year following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks about possible involvement in Taiwan during a crisis, along with Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam.