"Don't Go to Japan": Airfares Drop to 75,000 Won...As Revenue Dries Up, China Quietly Lifts Ban on Group Tours to Japan

Industry Sees Widespread Resumption of Group Tours to Japan
Recruitment Begins for 6-Night, 7-Day Group Tours

While the Chinese government has effectively banned group tours to Japan, there are now signs of resumption, particularly among Chinese state-owned travel agencies.

On June 19, Japan’s Nippon TV reported that a major Chinese state-owned travel agency, which had suspended sales of group tour packages to Japan, will resume selling group tour packages starting in the middle of next month.

Chinese state-owned travel agencies are showing signs of resuming group tours to Japan. Photo for article reference. Pixabay.

The travel agency has already begun recruiting customers for a six-night, seven-day group tour to Japan.

In addition, it has been reported that several private travel agencies in China have also started organizing group tours to Japan since last month, indicating that the trend is spreading throughout the industry.

An official from the Chinese travel industry stated, regarding the resumption of group tours, that the authorities have virtually condoned it, saying, “They told us to use our own judgment.”

A Japanese government official commented that, as travel agencies in China have faced growing business difficulties, the authorities had no choice but to allow the resumption. The official also expressed hope that this would be a positive sign for the strained relationship between Japan and China.

In November last year, following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting possible intervention in the event of a Taiwan contingency, the Chinese government issued guidelines instructing travel agencies to limit the number of tourists traveling to Japan. As a result, group tours to Japan had been effectively suspended.

At the time, the Chinese government strongly criticized the Prime Minister’s statements, saying they violated the basic norms of international relations and constituted a grave interference in China’s internal affairs. The government warned that unless Prime Minister Takaichi retracted her remarks, Japan would have to bear full responsibility for all future consequences. As the conflict between China and Japan escalated, China successively implemented economic pressure measures, including a ban on imports of Japanese seafood and restrictions on Japanese films and performances through the so-called “Japan Limit Order.”

The Nikkei reported that, due to the fallout from China-Japan tensions earlier this year, the number of flights from China to Japan dropped by 48%, from 5,747 to 3,010. The price of airline tickets has also fallen. Citing Airplus, a travel website operator, the Nikkei explained that the price of tickets on China-operated Shanghai–Kansai routes dropped by 68% to 8,000 yen (about 75,000 won) compared to the period before Prime Minister Takaichi’s remarks.

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