Expected a surge of Chinese tourists in Korea instead of Japan... Where 250,000 Spring Festival travelers actually flocked

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 Spring Festival (Chinese Lunar New Year) holiday, Thailand emerged as the most popular overseas destination for Chinese tourists. In contrast, Japan, once a representative favorite, saw a sharp decline in visitors amid tensions between China and Japan.

On the 24th (local time), the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that "Thailand ranked first among the main destinations visited by Chinese tourists traveling abroad during this year's Spring Festival holiday, while Japan saw a steep drop in visitors amid political tensions."

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 15–23).

Chinatown in Bangkok, Thailand. Unsplash

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

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

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

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

Fliggy, the 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 traveling to Japan halved

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

According to John Grant, chief analyst at UK aviation data firm OAG, seat capacity on routes between China and Japan last week totaled 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 in the form of individual trips rather than group tours. Katsuya Yamamoto, director of the Strategy and Deterrence Program at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Japan, explained, "The Chinese government's travel warning has not had a significant impact on wealthy individuals and travelers who have repeatedly visited Japan," adding, "Compared to traditional group tours, their choice of destinations shows a clear trend toward greater diversification and dispersion."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.