“The price to Japan was just too much for a short girls’ weekend over the Spring Festival break,” said Ms Li, a Shanghai-based office worker. Many are instead choosing to travel to South-east Asian countries, given the cheaper air tickets, with Thailand replacing Japan as the top travel destination this coming holiday. Following Ms Takaichi’s remarks, Beijing launched retaliatory measures, including the cancellation of flights on 49 air routes from China to Japan. Ms Li said she had enjoyed her trip to Osaka in November 2025, which was why she wanted to go to Tokyo this holiday break. When asked about the popularity of Japan as a travel destination for the upcoming holiday, top Chinese travel platforms CTrip and Tongcheng Travel did not respond.

Source: The Star February 07, 2026 18:09 UTC