Japan banks on ‘golden week’ spending boost as China’s extended national holiday fuels tourism
Japan’s travel and retail sectors are hoping that an eight-day national holiday in China will spur the return of large numbers of Chinese touristsIt marks the first extended national holiday to occur in China since Beijing lifted a pandemic-era ban on tour groups visiting JapanJapanJulian RyallPublished: 9:30am, 3 Oct, 2023Why you can trust SCMP
Large numbers of inbound Chinese visitors are now expected, although there is recognition in Japan that arrivals and tourist spending will not immediately bounce back to pre-pandemic levels.
Japan is ‘rammed’ with visitors – and Chinese tourists aren’t even back yet
A record 31 million overseas travellers visited Japan in 2019, including around 9.6 million Chinese, and the government set a target of 40 million arrivals in 2020, when the Tokyo Olympic Games were supposed to be held. The pandemic shattered that hope, however, with a mere 3.17 million arrivals that year and just 245,900 in 2021.