Since a political row over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's China-related comments on November 15, bookings by travelers from the Chinese mainland to Japan have plunged. Over 540,000 tickets have been canceled in the past week, and refund requests continue to climb. 🚨
Travel agencies in the Chinese mainland have already called off all group tours scheduled for November and December. A Tokyo-based agency told Xinhua that cancellation rates shot up from 10% of bookings on November 17 to about 70% the next day. They warn that most remaining reservations could be scrapped as travelers hesitate to finalize their plans.
We have seen dozens of study tours and business delegations withdraw trips set for December, the agency added. Cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, which rely heavily on visitors from the Chinese mainland, now face a sudden drop in tourism revenue. 💸
For young explorers and students planning future trips, this means fewer promotional deals and more uncertainty ahead. Stay tuned as the situation continues to evolve! 🌏✈️
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
