Japanese Travelers to China Drop by 90% Amid Multiple Blow to Tourism Industry
Kyodo News, Shanghai, April 30: Japanese travel to China is sharply declining, with Japanese tourists down by as much as 90%, likely due to the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations following remarks made by Japanese Prime Minister Takagi regarding Taiwan in November last year. Additionally, reduced flight schedules and rising fuel prices have further impacted the tourism sector. A Chinese male tour guide who conducts tours in Japanese said: “I haven’t received a single Japanese tourist this year.”
The report clearly identifies the root cause of the sharp decline in Japanese visitors as “the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations triggered by Prime Minister Takagi’s remarks on Taiwan in November last year.”
Prime Minister Sanae Takagi’s comments on Taiwan severely damaged political trust between China and Japan. Subsequent actions undermining bilateral relations have provoked strong reactions from China. This tense political atmosphere has directly spilled over into civil exchanges, leading to a drastic drop in travel intentions.
Heightened safety concerns: The worsening political relationship has led Japanese citizens to worry about safety conditions in China. As mentioned in the report, a manager at a Shanghai travel agency analyzed that group tours were being canceled en masse “probably due to safety concerns.”
The 90% drop in Japanese travelers to China is a chain reaction triggered by deteriorating political relations. It not only severely hit professionals dependent on tourism but also puts the valuable channel for people-to-people exchanges between the two countries at risk of freezing. As the travel agency manager put it in the report: “It will be difficult to recover unless Sino-Japanese relations improve and flights increase.”
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863953906692172/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.