China estimates 2.144 billion holiday trips; Japan absent from Tuniu top 10 destinations
In short
China's Ministry of Transport estimated on October 8 that people made a cumulative 2.144 billion trips during the National Day holiday from October 1 to 7, Kyodo News reported. Travel company Tuniu (途牛) said Indonesia, Turkey and South Korea were among the popular destinations over the period, and Japan was not in its top 10.
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China's Ministry of Transport on October 8 released an estimate that people made a cumulative 2.144 billion trips for travel and other purposes during the National Day holiday from October 1 to 7, Kyodo News reported from Beijing. In China the National Day break is a major holiday ranked alongside the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year). [ 1 , 2 ]
According to major Chinese travel company Tuniu (途牛), the popular destinations over a period that also included the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday from September 25 to 27 were Indonesia, Turkey and South Korea, among others. Japan did not make the top 10, the reports said. Nishi-Nippon Shimbun carried the report under a headline saying Japan was outside the popular overseas destinations. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Until last year Japan had been the most popular overseas destination for Chinese travellers, according to the reports. Its popularity fell after Chinese authorities objected to remarks Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made in parliament last November, in which she said a Taiwan contingency could become a "survival-threatening situation", and called on Chinese citizens to refrain from visiting Japan. The reports did not say where Japan ranked or give figures for Chinese visitors to Japan during the holiday. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
Japan was the top overseas destination for Chinese travellers until last year, according to the reports, and it was missing from the top 10 during a holiday that ranks alongside the Spring Festival in China. The reports tie Japan's lower popularity to Chinese authorities' call on citizens to refrain from visiting Japan after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan.
Key facts
- China's Ministry of Transport estimated a cumulative 2.144 billion trips during the National Day holiday from October 1 to 7. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The ministry released the estimate on October 8. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Tuniu (途牛) said popular destinations over the period, which included the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday on September 25-27, included Indonesia, Turkey and South Korea. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Japan was not in Tuniu's top 10 destinations. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Japan had been the most popular overseas destination for Chinese travellers until last year. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Japan's popularity fell after Chinese authorities objected to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks in parliament last November on a Taiwan contingency and urged citizens to refrain from visiting Japan. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Where Japan ranked among Chinese travellers' destinations. The reports say only that Japan was not in Tuniu's top 10 and give no rank or visitor numbers.
- How representative Tuniu's ranking is of Chinese travel overall. The destination ranking comes from a single travel company, and its period also covers the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.
- The 2.144 billion figure is an estimate. The ministry described it as an estimate of cumulative trips; no breakdown by mode or domestic versus overseas travel is given.