China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism has reportedly ordered major travel agencies to reduce group tours to Japan by about 40 percent in an apparent economic response to recent Japanese political comments on Taiwan, according to Japanese media.
Japanese broadcaster NTV and others said on Thursday that ministry officials recently summoned agency heads and issued oral instructions to gradually cut group tour numbers to around 60 percent of previous levels, while keeping independent travel unaffected. Agencies were told not to publicize the move.
The report linked the move to Beijing's strong dissatisfaction with recent Taiwan-related remarks by Japanese politicians, including Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae. While China has previously called for voluntary reductions in travel to Japan, the specific quota signals escalated pressure.
A Japanese government source said they are monitoring data to assess the impact. Economist Honya Nobuhide estimated a complete Chinese travel restriction could cost Japan up to 1.8 trillion yen (over HK$90 billion).
Hiroshi Mizohata, director of the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau, confirmed many Chinese group cancellations but said independent travel remains stable. The industry plans to expand non-Chinese international and domestic tourism to offset potential losses.
