Really? The most desired travel destination for people in mainland China — Japan takes the crown

Over the past few years, people from mainland China have become the largest group of tourists visiting Japan in an almost overwhelming manner, even sparking a “shopping frenzy.” According to a survey by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Japan has now topped the list of destinations that people in mainland China most want to visit. This is the first time since the survey began in 2013 that Japan has claimed the top spot.

In fact, this year, due to restrictions on group travel from mainland China to Japan and signs that the shopping boom is fading, many Japanese felt that the trend of Chinese tourists visiting Japan might be coming to an end. However, according to a report by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun, Chinese people still love traveling to Japan. Among the “countries they most want to visit,” Japan received 40.2% of responses, surpassing last year’s champion, the United States, to take the top spot. The United States came in second, followed by Italy in third.

When asked why they want to visit Japan, 60.8% of people in mainland China cited “visiting amusement parks or theme parks,” followed by “trying local cuisine” at 51.7%, and then “shopping” at 50.6%. Interestingly, those who have not yet been to Japan but want to go often cite recommendations from friends and family as the main reason.

Daisuke Hakozaki, head of the North Asia section at the Japan External Trade Organization, who has long studied the current state of tourism from mainland China to Japan, believes that the reason people in mainland China want to visit Japan is likely because of the positive impressions they have formed from the products they buy there and their overall travel experiences. He also noted signs of improvement in political relations between the two countries. According to statistics from the Japan National Tourism Organization, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan from January to October 2017 was 6.22 million. Daisuke Hakozaki believes that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan will continue to grow, which should come as a relief to Japanese tourism operators worried about a decline in visitors from China.