Published on : Sunday, February 2, 2020
Tokyo-based travel agency Kamone specializing in tours for Chinese travelers witnessed more than 20,000 cancellations of package trips to Japan up to February 10.
Japan’s largest travel agent, JTB Corporation, has cancelled all tours in Japan during the Chinese New Year period that was requested by a Chinese company.
These are indeed a heavy blow to Japan’s tourism sector as Chinese tourists account for a third of Japan’s total 9.5 million inbound tourists annually. In 2019, Chinese tourists’ spending totalled US$16.3 billion, making China the biggest tourism market for Japan globally.
Chinese tourists were also the biggest shoppers last year, with average spending of US$998 per person, as per Japan Tourism Agency.
Corona virus threat and subsequent travel restrictions in China has sparked concerns among departmental stores and shops in Japan.
Japanese tourists are also cancelling trips to China.
Tags: corona virus, Japan expecting drop