Eye On Asia | Japan’s successful wooing of Chinese tourists may be too much of a good thing

The number of tourists from mainland China visiting Japan has steadily increased over the years. This is good news for Japan and its economy but also carries risks. Amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, Tokyo will have to address this key question: Are the record numbers of Chinese tourists too much of an economic (and maybe a political) risk for Tokyo?

Last year, mainland China remained the top source of tourists, with arrivals rising by 14.5 per cent to 9.59 million, out of a total of 31.9 million, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation. This was followed by South Korea (5.58 million), Taiwan (4.89 million), Hong Kong (2.29 million), the United States (1.72 million) and Thailand (1.32 million).

As tourism across Asia takes a hit from the novel coronavirus epidemic, countries are beginning to realise that depending too heavily on tourists from any particular country or region is fraught with risks. Taiwan and South Korea realised this the hard way when political tensions with Beijing hit tourist numbers.

Last July, China banned solo travel to Taiwan ahead of the re-election of President Tsai Ing-wen; in 2016, the number of mainland Chinese tourists plunged after her election. Both were seen as signs that Beijing was unhappy with developments in Taiwan. In 2017, South Korea angered China by installing a missile defence system and also saw Chinese tourist numbers decline.