Young travelers are hungry for adventure, and it’s taking them to Africa.
25.08.2023 - 12:59 / skift.com / Asia Pacific
Chinese group tours are back in Japan but anyone banking on them arriving in droves and splashing around cash like they did before the pandemic is likely to be disappointed.
An ANA Holdings flight on Wednesday evening brings in the first package tour visitors from Beijing since China lifted its pandemic-era restrictions on the trips to Japan and other key markets including the United States.
But hopes the return of packaged tours will herald big returns for department stores, hotels and restaurants in Japan are clashing with a Chinese economy struggling to post significant growth and Japan’s controversial plans to release treated wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.
“Chinese consumer sentiment is cooler than ever, and the desire to save is increasing,” said Sony Financial Group economist Takayuki Miyajima.
Isetan Mitsukoshi is expecting less “explosive buying” at its department stores now that many high-end brands are available within China, a spokesperson said.
Sightseeing operator Hato Bus also said it was restarting Chinese-language tours in September but with smaller vehicles.
Inbound tourism has become increasingly important to Japan’s economy, helping drive blistering 6% annualised growth in the second quarter.
Before the pandemic, mainland Chinese – who largely prefer to travel abroad in tour groups – accounted for the biggest number of tourists to Japan. They also spent the most.
But since Japan eased its own pandemic border controls late last year, the number of Chinese tourists has only recovered to about 20% of 2019 levels, partly because of China’s delay in adding Japan to a list of approved nations for tour groups.
China also vehemently opposes Japan’s plan to release the Fukushima wastewater starting on Thursday, and many Chinese have taken to social media to express their alarm about the safety of Japanese seafood and produce. How this will affect tourism, however, remains unclear.
The weaker yen has sparked a rebound in U.S. and European tourists that is exceeding pre-pandemic levels, but with their own currency also weaker, the exchange rate doesn’t appear to be a drawcard for Chinese tourists. Neither is the frenzied shopping that was their hallmark, said CLSA Japan strategist Nicholas Smith.
“There have been changes over the last few years to their ability to buy Japanese products in China, so they don’t actually have to travel to do it,” he added, referring to the proliferation of shops selling these goods in the mainland.
Some Japanese retailers say the Chinese tourists who do visit appear to be more discerning.
Komehyo, a major retailer of second-hand luxury goods, said sales to Chinese visitors have been on the upswing since April, and Isetan
Young travelers are hungry for adventure, and it’s taking them to Africa.
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This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Renee Marant, a 21-year-old college student attending Temple University at the school's Japan campus. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.
From today’s Daily Lodging Report newsletter: Nikkei Asia published an article on Hilton planning to expand its luxury offerings in Asia. Hilton will be bringing its Waldorf Astoria brand to Malaysia, Vietnam, India, and other countries for the first time as part of its plans to open 25 new luxury hotels in the Asia Pacific region over the next few years. That’s up from the 33 luxury hotels it currently runs in the Asia Pacific.
Agency consortium GlobalStar Travel Management is expanding in Europe, after boosting its presence across North America and Asia.
Authorities around the world are imposing or considering curbs on travellers from China as COVID-19 cases in the country surge following its relaxation of “zero-COVID” rules.
Chinese people, cut off from the rest of the world for three years by stringent COVID-19 curbs, flocked to travel sites on Tuesday ahead of borders reopening next month, even as rising infections strained the health system and roiled the economy.
The recent relaxation of zero-Covid policies in China offered great hope to a corporate travel industry stymied by those rules and one waiting to bring China back into the fold to speed up its recovery. But the ensuing testing requirements being put in place now by countries will be a major setback and dent much-needed confidence, industry associations warn.
The United States will impose mandatory COVID-19 tests on travelers from China, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday, joining India, Italy, Japan and Taiwan in taking new measures after Beijing’s decision to lift stringent zero-COVID policies.
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Travel search volume in the Asia Pacific region rose over 50 percent year over year in the fourth quarter last year, according to Expedia Group. The region’s strong performance led global travel search volume, which rose by 10 percent year over year.