(Photo: Reuters)HONG KONG - More Chinese tourists are expected ​to travel overseas during next week’s extra-long Lunar New Year break, ‌with top destinations ranging from Russia and Australia to Thailand and South Korea, travel agencies say, but Japan has lost some of its appeal. Bookings to Russia on its platform have more than doubled from last year, as have trips to northern Europe. “For the rest of the year, we’ll probably see increased Chinese ​travel ‌to Russia,” said Sienna Parulis-Cook, marketing and communications director of Dragon Trail Research. Simmering ⁠political tension with Japan has eroded its appeal for Chinese visitors, who normally made it a top choice. And all flights ‌have been cancelled on 58 routes ⁠that operated during last year’s Spring Festival, when Trip.com ranked Japan among ​the most popular overseas destinations, alongside Thailand and other regional markets.

Source: Bangkok Post February 12, 2026 10:46 UTC