The recent passing of Taiwanese celebrity Barbie Hsu due to influenza-induced pneumonia during her trip to Japan, coupled with reports of a flu outbreak in the country, has dominated Chinese social media. But will this affect Chinese tourists’ confidence in traveling to Japan?
Trip.com data show that short-term travel sentiment may be affected:
Within 48 hours of the news breaking, flight cancellations to Japan on the OTA platform surged by 178%, while bookings for hot spring hotels in Hokkaido saw an 80% cancellation rate.
However, in the long-term perspective, the overall trend of Chinese tourism to Japan remains robust.
A closer look at traveler demographics reveals that Chinese tourists visiting Japan are primarily from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, as well as experienced outbound travelers with strong purchasing power.
For example, in 2024, the number of visitors from mainland China to Japan increased by 2.9 times year-over-year, with an average spending of RMB 13,000 (about USD 1786) per person, ranking highest among all countries and regions.
During the recent 2025 Spring Festival holiday, Japan remained a top choice for Chinese tourists. The "2025 Spring Festival Holiday Travel Consumption Report" released by Tongcheng Travel confirms Japan’s continued dominance as the most popular destination for Chinese tourists. Notably, two of the five most-booked outbound travel routes during the holiday lead to Japan.
