Japan’s tourist spots face new world without Chinese group tours
Travel & Leisure
Impact on sales less than feared as ‘explosive buying’ became mirage long ago
With the decline in Chinese tourists, Japanese visitors have become more prominent at popular sites. (Photo by Tokuyuki Matsubuchi)
NOBUAKI NISHITO, MAMI OSADA and KEIICHI KAMEI
February 11, 2026 00:00 JST
TOKYO — Although the recent sharp decline in Chinese travelers was expected to hurt Japan’s tourism industry, interviews at tourist destinations reveal that the impact has not been as drastic as feared, as Chinese visitors’ spending behavior had shifted before a recent diplomatic spat.
