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Chinese tourists

Chinese tourists
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Chinese tourists. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Tourists visit a lantern fair in Selangor, Malaysia, on Saturday. Photo: Xinhua
Malaysia

Chinese tourists escaping cold flock to Malaysia for Lunar New Year fun

‘Malaysians still follow many of the traditions that we have stopped observing,’ a visitor in Penang says.

Hong Kong society

Japan travel warning after Hongkonger beaten with beer bottle in Sapporo

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Hong Kong society

Hong Kong’s Lunar New Year fireworks dazzle as visitor numbers gallop ahead

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Japan

Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan plunge 41% in January amid simmering tensions

Impact ripples through Japan’s retail sector, with falling duty-free sales at top department stores highlighting the pain for the industry.

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Chinese tourists in kimonos seen at the Sensoji Temple in the Asakusa district of Tokyo on November 15, 2025. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong tourism

Hong Kong marks start of Lunar New Year with surge of visitors

Visitor numbers hit 153,383 on first day of holiday, up by 10 per cent year on year, with more than 120,000 coming from mainland China.

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Tourism

Chinese and Indian tourists to boost Europe’s travel market amid US slowdown

This is the first sign of a decline in the post-pandemic boom in American travel to Europe, driven by a strong US dollar.

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Japan

Russia emerges as unlikely growth market for Japan tourism as China pulls back

New visa centres in Moscow and St Petersburg reflect a sharp rise in Russian demand as Chinese arrivals fall amid diplomatic tensions.

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Foreign tourists wearing Japanese traditional kimono clothes pose for a photograph near Sensoji temple at Asakusa district, a popular sightseeing spot in Tokyo. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong economy

Hongkongers make 1.4 million outbound trips ahead of Lunar New Year

Longer holiday, Valentine’s Day overlap drive 21.6 per cent increase in outbound trips from 2025.

Lunar New Year

Video | Lunar New Year travel off to a strong start in China

The holiday rush is commonly referred to as the world’s largest annual human migration.

Lunar New Year

Video | Chinese tourists have a new favourite country this Lunar New Year

Arrivals by Chinese tourists to South Korea are expected to rise by 52% in February 2026.

South Korea now tops the list of Lunar New Year destinations for Chinese travellers amid heightened tensions between China and the former top destination, Japan.
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China consumption

China’s Spring Festival box office faces plot twist after 2025 smashed records

Home-grown films lead the charge but fail to meet the phenomenal success of last year’s Ne Zha 2, which attracted record-breaking crowds.

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Moviegoers walked past posters for 2025 blockbusters Ne Zha 2 and Captain America: Brave New World at a cinema in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Photo: SCMP
France

9 arrested over Louvre ticket fraud scheme involving Chinese tourists

The world-famous museum says it lost nearly US$12 million over the past decade as the result of tickets being reused for different visitors.

Vietnam

Why tourists are choosing Vietnam, over Thailand and Cambodia in 2026

At a time when other popular parts of Asia are struggling with dwindling tourist numbers, how is Vietnam ⁠hitting record numbers of visitors?

Malaysia

Malaysia enforces stricter controls on China visa-free entry to curb abuse

Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin said the move was aimed at boosting border controls and protecting local jobs.

Chinese tourists pose for a photo in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad building in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock
Lunar New Year

Video | Over 1.4 billion trips forecast for first week of Lunar New Year holidays

The official Lunar New Year holiday spans nine days this year, with the resulting travel rush projected to last until March 13, 2026.

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Hong Kong tourism

Hong Kong set for Lunar New Year tourism bump with 6% rise in mainland visitors

Up to 1.4 million mainland visitors will set foot in city during holiday, according to Travel Industry Council projections.

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China travel

As diplomatic row drags on, how is Japan coping with a fall in Chinese tourists?

Chinese tourism to Japan has plunged amid a diplomatic feud. But Japan’s travel sector is holding up – and its airlines have even made some gains.

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China travel

China’s visa-free waivers spark Korean travel boom, underpin tourism revival

Shanghai bookings surge as visitors flock to cosmopolitan streets and affordable dining, with analysts predicting the trend will spread inland.

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A food seller prepares dishes at a restaurant in Shanghai on January 21. Photo: AFP
China property

Hang Lung flags ‘tough slog’ for property, looks to mainland malls for growth

Hong Kong developer says property segment recovery will be slow, but sees mainland retail and consumption offering the clearest upside.

Thailand

Will Thai tourism ambassador Blackpink’s Lisa help lure Chinese visitors back?

Chinese visitor arrivals slumped by nearly 30 per cent last year amid concerns over safety, the border war with Cambodia and the strong baht.

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Asean

Just 1 visa to rule them all? How European-style pass could help Asean tourism

While Asean members such as Malaysia and Vietnam have shown strong post-pandemic growth, tourist numbers have lagged in the Philippines.

Tourists have fun in the Cambugahay Falls on the Philippine island of Siquijor on December 10 last year. Photo: AFP
Japan

Why Japan’s public is ‘happy’ to see a Chinese tourist drought

Travel operators say business has so far remained resilient, with strong demand from other parts of Asia, Europe and the US.

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A Chinese tourist group is led by a tour guide in Asakusa, a popular sightseeing spot in Tokyo, Japan, in November 2025. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong entertainment

Blackpink fever hits Hong Kong as Rosé delights in local snack on way to stage

Thousands of fans from the city and beyond pack Kai Tak Stadium as the girl group kick off the final leg of their record-breaking Deadline world tour.

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Japan

Has Japan’s tourism peaked? Row with China set to slow arrivals from record high

A major travel firm says tourist arrivals in Japan are expected to fall this year from a record 42.7 million in 2025.

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Japan

Video | Japan posts record tourist arrivals despite China row

The number of mainland Chinese tourists visiting Japan had dropped 45 per cent in the month of December amid tensions between Beijing and Tokyo.

Tourists pack a street near Kiyomizu-dera temple in Kyoto, western Japan, on Jan. 20, 2026. The number of foreign visitors to Japan surged 16 percent to an estimated 42.7 million in 2025, exceeding 40 million for the first time. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo NO USE JAPAN
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Japan

Video | Japan ramen joint bans Chinese customers amid menu price row

The restaurant says it had to call police over unruly Chinese diners, but online sleuths say the real cause of the trouble was dual pricing on its menus.

Iekei restaurant in the western city of Osaka has ignited controversy by slapping a ban on all Chinese customers, accusing them of being troublemakers.
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Tencent

Uber’s WeChat tie-up pays off as demand from Chinese tourists rises overseas

Uber will offer a discount of at least 40 per cent during Lunar New Year for new mainland users who join via its WeChat mini-program.

China travel

‘Structurally hurt’: why are Chinese tourists spending less abroad than before?

China’s outbound travel sector has bounced back from the pandemic, but the era of duty-free shopping sprees appears to be over.

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