Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan fell 45.2% in February, marking a third consecutive monthly decline as a diplomatic dispute continues to impact travel.
TOKYO: Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan plummeted 45.2% in February compared to the same month last year, according to official data released on Wednesday.
This marks the third consecutive month of decline, with the fallout from a diplomatic spat between the two nations continuing to impact travel patterns.
Previously the largest source of tourists for Japan, visitors from mainland China numbered just 396,400 last month, as reported by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
South Korea has now overtaken China as the top source market, with its visitors jumping 28.2% to 1.1 million in February, after also leading in January.
In contrast, 18 countries and regions set new records for visitor numbers to Japan in February, including South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States.
The JNTO noted that while February is typically a low season, the timing of the Lunar New Year in mid-February boosted travel demand from East Asia and other regions.
Diplomatic relations between Tokyo and Beijing have deteriorated since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Japan might intervene militarily if China attempted to take Taiwan, a comment that sparked fury from Beijing.
China subsequently summoned Japan’s ambassador and warned its citizens against travelling to Japan, leading to a 45% drop in Chinese visitors in December and a 60.7% plunge in January.
While Chinese tourism to Japan falters, other destinations are seeing an increase, with South Korea welcoming 418,703 Chinese visitors in January, up from 364,460 a year earlier, and Thailand recording a 4.24% average rise in Chinese arrivals for the January-February period.
As Japan’s cherry blossom season approaches in late March and early April, some local media reports suggest the decline in Chinese visitors will continue, a sentiment echoed by one Tokyo Bay area hotel which told AFP its number of Chinese guests had halved since November, although other hotels reported no significant impact.
