A weak yen is luring Chinese tourists back to Japan, with polls showing Japan will be China’s most popular destination during China’s upcoming National Day holiday in early May.
Japan beat Thailand and South Korea in attracting Chinese tourists during China’s five-day Golden Week holiday that started on May 1, according to China’s largest online travel agency Ctrip.
On the homestay booking platform Airbnb, Japan is also the most searched destination by Chinese users this spring.
On both platforms, Thailand tops the list for the February Lunar New Year holiday.
Japan’s surge in popularity this spring has been driven by a combination of cherry blossom season and a weak yen.
A Shanghai visa agent for visitors to Japan said inquiries have increased since March.
“The visa screening process, which was tightened during the COVID-19 pandemic, has also returned to normal,” the agent said. “Japan has been a popular destination, with flights almost full during the holidays.”
Before the outbreak, Chinese tourists accounted for 30% of the total number of tourists to Japan. Even after the ban on group travel from China was lifted in the summer of 2023, the return rate of Chinese tourists was still slow.
Data from the Japan National Tourism Administration shows that even when the total number of tourists visiting Japan in February exceeded pre-epidemic levels, the number of Chinese tourists was still only 63.5% of the same month in 2019.
In March, the proportion remained almost unchanged at 65.4%, or 452,400 Chinese tourists.
Chinese tourists are believed to be heading instead to Southeast Asian countries, especially Thailand, which offers visa-free travel for short-term Chinese visitors.
Even so, the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai remains optimistic.
“The number of visas issued is increasing and is gradually returning to pre-pandemic levels,” a consulate official said, noting that many repeat visitors who previously visited Kyoto, Nara and other well-known destinations are now venturing to regional cities.
The official attributed Japan’s continued popularity to a favorable exchange rate and the presence of these repeat customers.
In the ranking of the most popular vacation destinations for Chinese tourists published by Ctrip.com, Japan is followed by Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, Indonesia, Australia, France and Vietnam.
