Diplomatic friction over Taiwan has spilled into the travel arena: Chinese bookings to Japan for the Lunar New Year period have fallen so sharply that Japan has dropped out of the top-ten destinations for mainland holidaymakers. Japan’s transport ministry says arrivals from China were already down 50 % year-on-year in December 2025; industry forecasters now expect a further 60 % plunge during the 2026 holiday.
The slide follows remarks by Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi indicating Tokyo might join any US-led military response to a Taiwan crisis. Beijing has responded with sharp rhetoric and an unusual travel safety advisory urging citizens to ‘re-consider trips’ to Japan. While the advisory stops short of an outright ban, Chinese online agencies have reported mass cancellations of package tours and reduced charter capacity.
Destinations benefiting from the shift include South Korea (projected to welcome 250,000 Chinese visitors during the 40-day Spring Festival travel window) as well as Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. For global mobility teams, the episode is a reminder that geopolitical flare-ups can swiftly reshape preferred leisure and “bleisure” corridors, impacting airline load factors and corporate travel budgets.
![Beijing-Tokyo Rift Sees Chinese Tourists Drop Japan From Holiday Itineraries]()
Travel departments scrambling to reroute teams or secure fresh paperwork can lean on VisaHQ’s portal, which provides real-time consular updates, appointment booking and document couriering for Chinese, Japanese and third-country nationals alike; more information is available at https://www.visahq.com/china/
Companies with Japan-China commuter rotations should monitor visa-appointment availability: consular staff reallocated to handle Taiwan-related tasks could elongate processing times. Meanwhile, Japanese retailers and hotel chains reliant on Chinese spending face a short-term revenue gap, potentially translating into discounted corporate rates for those still travelling.
Mobility advisers recommend briefing China-based staff on the foreign ministry advisory, ensuring travellers register itineraries and consider alternative regional meeting points if tensions persist.
The slide follows remarks by Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi indicating Tokyo might join any US-led military response to a Taiwan crisis. Beijing has responded with sharp rhetoric and an unusual travel safety advisory urging citizens to ‘re-consider trips’ to Japan. While the advisory stops short of an outright ban, Chinese online agencies have reported mass cancellations of package tours and reduced charter capacity.
Destinations benefiting from the shift include South Korea (projected to welcome 250,000 Chinese visitors during the 40-day Spring Festival travel window) as well as Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. For global mobility teams, the episode is a reminder that geopolitical flare-ups can swiftly reshape preferred leisure and “bleisure” corridors, impacting airline load factors and corporate travel budgets.
Travel departments scrambling to reroute teams or secure fresh paperwork can lean on VisaHQ’s portal, which provides real-time consular updates, appointment booking and document couriering for Chinese, Japanese and third-country nationals alike; more information is available at https://www.visahq.com/china/
Companies with Japan-China commuter rotations should monitor visa-appointment availability: consular staff reallocated to handle Taiwan-related tasks could elongate processing times. Meanwhile, Japanese retailers and hotel chains reliant on Chinese spending face a short-term revenue gap, potentially translating into discounted corporate rates for those still travelling.
Mobility advisers recommend briefing China-based staff on the foreign ministry advisory, ensuring travellers register itineraries and consider alternative regional meeting points if tensions persist.
