Following the visa waiver announcement, searches for popular Chinese destinations by Japanese travelers have more than doubled year-over-year. Notably, Harbin, Xi'an, and Chongqing saw increases exceeding 150%.
Japan, now an ultra-aged society, has 30% of its population aged 65 and older as of January 2024. Among Japanese travelers to China, senior citizens are the second-largest group (20%), following solo travelers. University students recorded the fastest growth in visits (nearly fourfold), followed by those traveling with elderly companions (up 356%).
Preferred destinations by group:
* Senior travelers favor Qingdao, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chengdu, and Nanjing.
* Family travelers prefer Dalian, Qingdao, Tianjin, Fuzhou, Shenyang, Harbin, and Xi'an.
* University students are more inclined towards Shanghai and Beijing.
With the introduction of more traveler-friendly inbound tourism policies, Japanese travelers now have greate confidence in planning trips to China. They are booking tickets earlier than in previous years, with the proportion of tickets purchased more than 30 days in advance increasing from 33.2% to 41.9%.
Additionally, the share of Japanese travelers booking round-trip tickets has seen a significant rise, climbing from 59.3% to 71.2%.
The visa-free policies have introduced greater flexibility to Japanese travelers’ itineraries, prompting many to visit China even for short holidays. Consequently, the average duration of stays has shortened, with nearly half (48.5%, up from 30.9%) now staying for three days or less.
