Where Are Chinese Travelers Heading for the Lunar New Year?... Rising Popularity of Korea Amid China-Japan Tensions

Japan's Popularity Declines Amid China-Japan Tensions
South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia Emerge as Top Destinations

As the Chinese New Year, the largest holiday in China, approaches, demand for overseas travel among Chinese citizens is rising. However, due to the ongoing conflict between China and Japan, Japan's popularity as a travel destination has declined. Instead, countries in Southeast Asia, including South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia, have emerged as major travel destinations.

According to Chinese online travel agency Qunar on January 26, the top ten overseas hotel booking destinations from mid-January through the Chinese New Year holiday period (February 15-23) are, in order: Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Russia, Vietnam, Macau, Australia, and Indonesia. Japan did not make the list this year.

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Another online travel agency, Tongcheng Travel, also reported that demand for flights to Japan has dropped significantly, while routes to Southeast Asian destinations such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bali have become popular international routes during the Chinese New Year holiday. According to airline data provider Flight Master, the number of flights from China to Japan during the holiday period decreased by 43.7% compared to the previous year. Although Japan has long been the most popular overseas destination for Chinese travelers during the Chinese New Year, demand has recently seen a clear decline.

Analysts attribute this shift to the recent escalation of tensions between China and Japan. After Prime Minister Takaiichi suggested in the National Diet in November last year that Japan might intervene in the event of a Taiwan contingency, China strongly protested, increased diplomatic pressure, and demanded a retraction of the statement. As a result, public opinion in China has rapidly deteriorated, leading to a widespread reluctance to visit Japan.

In fact, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan in December last year was 330,000, a 45.3% decrease compared to the same month the previous year. The state-run Global Times reported that while Japan had been the most popular destination during the Chinese New Year holiday in recent years, South Korea has overtaken Japan to become the top outbound destination this year.

Meanwhile, Chinese airlines are significantly expanding their international flight offerings, focusing on routes to Southeast Asia, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. China Eastern Airlines has added or increased more than 50 international routes during the Chinese New Year period, boosting the number of flights to destinations such as Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, and Seoul. The Civil Aviation Administration of China expects the number of air passengers during this year's special Chinese New Year transportation period to reach 95 million, setting a new all-time record.