With rising tensions between Beijing and Tokyo disrupting travel plans, Chinese tourists are actively seeking alternative destinations for their winter getaways. While South Korea hopes to capitalise on this diverted tourist flow, it faces fierce competition from popular hotspots like Thailand, Russia and other destinations, according to travel industry officials.
The diplomatic spat began when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested potential military intervention in the Taiwan Strait, prompting Beijing to issue a travel warning on November 14.
Chinese airlines were instructed to offer refunds on Japan-bound flights through the end of the year, leaving hundreds of thousands of Chinese travellers scrambling to adjust their plans.
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The timing aligns with South Korean airlines’ efforts to expand routes to China, which are more profitable than routes to Japan. Korean Air Lines increased its Incheon-Fuzhou route from three weekly flights to four last month, and Asiana Airlines is set to operate 165 weekly flights to China by March, reflecting a 20 per cent increase in capacity.
Chinese cruise operators are also scrambling to bypass Japanese ports, opting instead to extend their stays at destinations such as Jeju Island.
Data from Chinese travel platform Qunar revealed that for the weekend of November 15, South Korea emerged as the most popular overseas destination for Chinese tourists, overtaking Japan, which previously held the top spot.