Japan drops out of top 10 destination for Chinese travelers

China's outbound tourism landscape is undergoing a rapid reshuffle as demand for travel to Japan continues to decline following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's ill-intentioned remarks on Taiwan which have inflicted prolonged damage on Japan's tourism sector and deepened the "Takaichi Fallout." The resulting "Takaichi cost" has triggered broad sell-offs across tourism-related markets and accelerated the search for alternative destinations among Chinese travelers.

New data from multiple travel platforms show a clear and steep drop in interest in Japan, once a top destination for Chinese tourists. During the upcoming winter holiday period (January 15 to February 10, 2026), Thailand has reclaimed the No.1 spot among outbound destinations for Chinese visitors, according to Beijing-based online travel agency Qunar. Japan, which previously dominated the rankings, has now fallen out of the top 10 entirely.

Meanwhile, demand is surging for trips to countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Russia, Italy, Spain, Egypt, and Norway, where flight and hotel bookings are rising at a strong pace.

Analysts at the Tongcheng Research Institute note that the ski tourism market is also seeing noticeable shifts. Trips that typically focused on Japan – especially Hokkaido – are increasingly being dropped in favor of  Kazakh and Nordic ski resorts. Within China, ski destinations in Heilongjiang, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Hebei are also seeing more winter travelers.