A new report shows that Japan, traditionally one of the top destinations for Chinese travellers during the Golden Week holiday, no longer figures in the top ten. Diplomatic tensions between the two countries are at the base of the shift in behaviour.
Since November 2025, tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have been palpable. At the time, Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi said that if a Chinese attack on self-governed Taiwan threatened Japan’s survival, the Japanese self-defence forces could be forced to take action. The statement has been considered a sharp break from Japan’s strategic ambiguity over Taiwan.
The consequences of those diplomatic tensions have been dramatic, not least for Japan’s tourism industry. In July 2026, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization showed that Japan’s post-COVID-19 tourism growth has experienced a drop in visitor numbers for the first time in six years. The drop was caused by a decline in Chinese visitor numbers. Following a Chinese government travel advisory late in 2025, urging its citizens to avoid Japan due to geopolitical tensions over the status of Taiwan, their arrivals fell by 56%.
The trend was once again confirmed during the Golden Week, a Chinese national holiday marking the anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and traditionally a very busy travel period. The Chinese authorities estimated that some 2.13 billion passenger trips would take place during the 2026 Golden Week holiday period.
Moreover, this year, the festive week took place from 1 October until 7 October, with many people combining the Golden Week with the Mid-Autumn Festival that debuted on 25 September 2026 in order to obtain a 13-day vacation.
Crowd overload at Shanghai Bund! 😱 It has turned into sea‑of‑people mode on Day Two of the National Day break. Visitors throng every inch of the iconic waterfront, capturing the vibrant energy of China’s golden‑week travel rush. https://t.co/lbrQv4zAUZ
— Zhang Heqing (@zhang_heqing) October 3, 2026
While Japan has traditionally been one of the most popular destinations among Chinese travellers for a Golden Week holiday, this hasn’t been the case in 2026. According to Kyodo News and based on data collected by the Chinese travel agency Tuniu, Japan didn’t even figure in the top ten. Instead, Indonesia, Turkey, and South Korea are reportedly at the top of the most visited destinations this year.
This seems to be confirmed by data from Tongcheng Travel. In terms of the most popular cities for outbound travel among Chinese travellers during the Golden Week, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Seoul topped the list. Once again, not a single Japanese city was present in the top ten.
However, long-haul destinations scored remarkably well this year, which may be linked to the fact that many Chinese holidaymakers combined the Mid-Autumn Festival with the Golden Week holiday, allowing for more time to go abroad. According to the Chinese online travel booking platform Qunar, long-haul flights exceeding 2,000 kilometres rose by 48% compared to last year on the first day of the National Day holiday, while long-haul flights over 8,000 kilometres rose by over 30%.
According to the state-owned Chinese media Global Times, the Golden Week holiday also saw an increase in arrivals from international visitors, citing a more diverse mix of visitors and a growing trend toward immersive cultural experiences.
