Booking estimates and flight data show South Korea is on track to overtake Japan as the top destination for Chinese travelers during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some 230,000 to 250,000 mainland Chinese visitors are expected to arrive in South Korea for the nine-day holiday from Feb. 15, according to market researcher China Trading Desk, which specializes in travel analysis. That¡¯s a jump of as much as 52% over last year¡¯s break, which was a day shorter.
Japan ¡ª a recent favorite for Chinese travelers due to a weaker yen ¡ª faces a hollowing out of its mainland tourism trade, with arrivals from China forecast to nosedive as much as 60% from last year¡¯s holiday, China Trading Desk said. The pivot reflects rising diplomatic friction between Beijing and Tokyo, Seoul¡¯s aggressive easing of visas for Chinese tour groups and concerns over safety in another regional tourism hotspot, Thailand.
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