Amid a sudden deterioration in Sino-Japanese relations, Chinese tourists originally planning to visit Japan instead opted for Korea during the Lunar New Year holiday. The nine-day period, from February 15 to Monday, filled hotels in Korea and provided relief to its sluggish domestic economy. A 22-year-old from Sichuan province, Tang, said his family decided to stay in Seoul after being unable to refund tickets for onward travel to Japan.
A diplomatic row with Japan during the Lunar New Year holiday redirected more Chinese travelers to Korea, filling its hotels over the nine-day period and offering relief to a sluggish domestic economy. The holiday began on February 15 and ended on Monday. Flights to Japan had been booked months in advance by Tang, a 22-year-old from Sichuan province, who had already made three solo visits to the neighboring country, long a draw for Chinese tourists.
However, a sudden deterioration in Sino-Japanese relations changed everything. “The original plan was to transit through Seoul on our way to Japan,” Tang said. “But the airline couldn’t refund the tickets at the time, so we decided to stay in Seoul and not continue on to Japan.”
Tang and his family were among the influx of Chinese tourists who visited Korea during the holiday period. Keywords include Incheon International Airport, Seoul, Grand Hyatt Jeju, Paradise City, Taiwan, Chinese New Year, Sichuan, China, Lotte Department Store, Myeong-dong, Korea, South Korea, Alipay, Japan, Beijing. The article was published on 2026-02-24T11:00:11+08:00.