Expected China Lunar New Year tourism boom in Korea, but 250,000 Chinese tourists went to Thailand instead

Thailand tops list of Chinese tourist destinations during Spring Festival
Korea ranks second... Chinese tourist spending reaches about 460 billion won
Japan sees 50% plunge amid tensions over Taiwan

During this year's Lunar New Year holiday (China's Spring Festival), Thailand emerged as the most popular overseas destination for Chinese tourists. In contrast, Japan, once a leading favorite, saw visitor numbers plummet amid ongoing tensions between China and Japan.

On the 24th (local time), the South China Morning Post (SCMP) in Hong Kong reported that "Thailand was the top destination for Chinese tourists traveling abroad during this year's Spring Festival holiday, while Japan experienced a sharp decline in visitors amid political conflict."

According to the travel marketing and technology company China Trading Desk, approximately 250,000 Chinese tourists visited Thailand during this year's Spring Festival holiday (February 15 to 23).

Chinatown in Bangkok, Thailand. Unsplash

The most visited destination was Thailand... Korea ranked second

The nine-day Spring Festival holiday this year had been highly anticipated as a peak season for the global travel industry. According to global investment bank HSBC, China's outbound travel market was worth about 140 billion dollars (approximately 202 trillion won) as of 2024.

The number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand had previously declined due to safety concerns related to Southeast Asian fraud rings. However, the number of Chinese tourists who visited Thailand during this holiday was approximately 250,000, an increase of 60,000 from the same period a year earlier. This exceeded the Thai government's forecast of 241,000 visitors for February 13 to 22.

During this holiday period, South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore ranked second to fourth, respectively, as the most visited countries by Chinese tourists. In particular, in South Korea, Chinese tourist spending was estimated to have reached at least 319 million dollars (approximately 460 billion won).

Fliggy, an online travel platform under Alibaba Group, also stated that Southeast Asian countries, as well as Hong Kong and Macao within a four-hour flight from mainland China, were the most popular overseas destinations for this year's Spring Festival.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, the Four Major Palaces including Gyeongbokgung Palace, Jongmyo Shrine, and the Joseon Royal Tombs were opened free of charge; on the 18th, crowds including tourists flocked to Gyeongbokgung in Seoul, creating a sea of people. Yonhap News

Number of tourists heading to Japan drops by half

By contrast, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan was only 130,000, down by half from 260,000 during the same period last year. This is seen as a result of the prolonged conflict between China and Japan following remarks made in November last year by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting possible involvement in the event of a Taiwan contingency. The Chinese authorities warned against travel to Japan, and Chinese airlines canceled thousands of flights.

According to John Grant, chief analyst at UK-based aviation data firm OAG, seat capacity on China-Japan routes last week stood at 125,717, a sharp decline from 192,262 in the first week of December last year.

However, some Chinese travelers are reportedly still visiting Japan as independent travelers rather than on group tours. Katsuya Yamamoto, Director of the Strategy and Deterrence Program at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Japan, said, "The Chinese government's travel warning has not had a significant impact on wealthy travelers and those who have repeatedly visited Japan," adding, "Compared with traditional group tours, their choice of destinations shows a clear trend toward greater diversification and dispersion."