Chinese Tourists Reduce Travel to Japan, South Korea Enjoys "Reflex Gains"
"South Korea was the top destination for Chinese New Year holiday travel, while Japan did not enter the top 10," reported Japan's TBS TV website on the 5th, citing Chinese media reports. The most popular outbound travel destinations during the New Year holiday were South Korea; previously, Japan often ranked at the top, but this time it failed to enter the top ten. This phenomenon highlights the significant impact of the Chinese government's reminder to avoid traveling to Japan.
The Japanese media further cited reports from Chinese financial media, stating that ticket sales to Seoul have increased 3.3 times compared to the same period last year, with South Korea especially becoming a favored travel destination among university students. At the same time, the number of flights between China and South Korea increased by 6.5% year-on-year, while the number of flights between China and Japan dropped sharply by 40.5%. In addition to South Korea, Vietnam has also entered the list of popular travel destinations for Chinese tourists. Next month, China will celebrate the Spring Festival, and in previous years, a large number of tourists traveled to Japan during this period. However, due to the reminder to avoid traveling to Japan, the scale of Chinese tourists visiting Japan is expected to decrease significantly this year.
According to Japan's Kyodo News, the data released by Japan's three major department store giants on the 5th showed that during the 2026 New Year's first sale activities, Takashimaya and Matsuzaka Department Store saw a decline in sales. Specifically, Matsuzaka Department Store's sales decreased by 5.3% from March 3 to 4, and Takashimaya's sales decreased by 0.7%. The report stated that the core reason was weak consumer spending by visitors from Japan, and duty-free sales did not grow, which is directly related to the reduced number of Chinese tourists. If the number of customers continues to decline, it will inevitably affect future business performance.
South Korean media also noticed the changes in the choices of Chinese tourists. On the 3rd, South Korean media "Money Today" stated that the South Korean tourism market is currently enjoying "reflex gains" following the reminder from Chinese authorities for Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan. The article said that South Korea shares some similar tourism experiences with Japan, is geographically close to China, and the depreciation of the South Korean won has reduced the cost of traveling to South Korea, leading to a significant increase in both group tours and independent travelers from China.
A senior official from a South Korean tourism platform pointed out that Chinese tourists are an indispensable guest in the South Korean tourism market, and they should be given proper welcome, requiring the creation of an atmosphere of understanding and acceptance.
South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that a South Korean tourism research institution, Yanolja Research, predicted in late last year that the number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea this year would reach 20.36 million, with the largest number of tourists coming from China, expected to reach 6.15 million. The article noted that the most important variable is the international situation, especially Sino-Japanese relations. Recently, the demand for Chinese tourists to visit Japan has decreased, and a considerable portion may shift to South Korea. If this "reflex gain" is officially released, the number of Chinese tourists visiting South Korea in 2026 could even reach 7 million.
On the evening of the 3rd, the Chinese embassy in Japan again reminded people to avoid traveling to Japan, citing "unstable security conditions in certain parts of Japan." According to Japan's Yahoo News, this reminder from the embassy climbed to the top of the real-time hot search list on Chinese social platforms due to the topic of two Chinese citizens being seriously injured in a car accident in Japan. (Special correspondent of Global Times: Han Wen, Yan Yan)
Original: toutiao.com/article/1853530258729088/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.