On February 9, the Chinese New Year holiday, known as the longest in history, began, sparking a tourism boom. According to **, the number of Chinese tourists traveling overseas this year increased by 87 million from last year to 1300 million passengers, returning to the level of 2019. However, unlike in previous years, this year's enthusiasm for Japanese tourism has waned. Some analysts believe that the reason for this is that on the one hand, it is affected by the treatment of nuclear-contaminated water. Last August, the Fukushima nuclear power plant began discharging nuclear-contaminated water, triggering a backlash from Chinese tourists, who boycotted a large number of Japanese products, including seafood and cosmetics. On the other hand, on Chinese social media**, the popular destinations to search for "Chinese New Year" and "overseas travel" are Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, which have signed mutual visa waiver agreements with China, attracting a large number of Chinese tourists. Singapore even called it a "New Year's gift" after China announced that it would implement mutual visa exemption with Singapore within 30 days. These Southeast Asian countries have also launched a variety of entertainment activities that attract Chinese tourists. As a result, Chinese tourists are gradually losing interest in traveling to Japan, which has caused a huge repercussion in Japan.
As soon as the article was published, it quickly attracted the attention of the Japanese people and appeared on the hot search list. As of February 11, there have been more than 1,100 comments, still occupying the second place in the hot search of the Japanese forum economy. These comments reflect the dissatisfaction and opinions of the Japanese people that Chinese tourists no longer choose to travel in Japan. One of the most liked comments said that, as a Japanese national, he thinks that it is the best choice for Chinese tourists not to come, regardless of their reasons. He also cited a number of grievances, including the uncivilized behavior of Chinese tourists in Japan, such as carrying large luggage on the train and littering the streets. The common denominator in these remarks is a negative impression of Chinese tourists, who are no longer welcome because they have caused trouble and inconvenience to Japan.
I think there are several reasons why Chinese tourists no longer choose Japan as a destination for the Spring Festival. First of all, Chinese tourists are gradually improving their quality and travel awareness. In the past, Japan and South Korea became popular tourist destinations for Chinese tourists due to their close geographical location and developed economies. However, with the opening up of information and China's progress, it is natural that Chinese tourists have become resentful of the political regression of Japan and South Korea, and their willingness to travel to these countries has gradually decreased.
Secondly, I think there is a certain misunderstanding among the Japanese people about Chinese tourists. While it is true that some Chinese tourists have uncivilized behavior during their travels, this is not representative of all Chinese tourists. Similarly, Japan, as a tourist destination, also has some uncivilized behavior, and the responsibility should not be shifted entirely to Chinese tourists. Both sides should be more respectful and tolerant of each other, rather than blaming each other.
Finally, countries and regions that want to attract Chinese tourists should provide better services and experiences. Learn from Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, lower the bar and lower your profile, so that you can really win the goodwill of Chinese tourists and attract them to travel and spend. For countries and regions that still have a high profile and want Chinese tourists to lick and travel, this notion is outdated. Only by truly respecting and satisfying the needs of Chinese tourists can we achieve success.
In general, the phenomenon that Chinese tourists no longer choose Japan as a tourist destination for the Spring Festival is not only a reaction of Chinese tourists to the treatment of Japan's nuclear-contaminated water, but also related to the improvement of Chinese tourists' requirements for the quality of tourist destinations. The Japanese people should face up to the problem and be more objective and tolerant of Chinese tourists. At the same time, as a country and region that attracts Chinese tourists, it should focus on improving the quality of services and focusing on long-term development, not just short-term economic benefits.