As one of the closest international destinations for Chinese tourists, Japan is leading the recovery of China's outbound tourism.
Excluding overseas Chinese and international students in Japan, the number of short-term visitors from China reached 21,000 in July 2024, accounting for over 90% of the total 23,000 visitors, according to data provided by Chinese aviation industry expert Hanming Li.
Notably, short-distance travel from Shanghai and the surrounding Jiangsu, Zhejiang provinces have stood out in this recovery.
The Shanghai Consular District has played a crucial role in the trend, visa issuance rates in the district have far outpaced those in other districts like Beijing and Guangzhou.
According to Hanming Li，three factors explain this surge:
* Proximity
The Yangtze River Delta is geographically the closest Chinese region to Japan. In fact, flying from Shanghai to Japan is closer than flying to some cities in western China.
*Favorable visa policy
Before the pandemic, the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai had very relaxed visa requirements for residents of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. There was even a joke that "Shanghai residents could get a single-entry visa just by showing an ID and passport."
* Comparable economic conditions
When comparing living costs, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai are on par with most parts of Japan, except for Tokyo, providing a solid foundation for travel to Japan.
