Tourist Spending in Japan Hits New High in First Quarter of 2024
Recent reports indicate a surge in foreign visitors to Japan, partly due to the declining value of the Japanese yen. In March, visitor numbers reached a record-breaking three million. Overall, tourists spent a record 1.7505 trillion yen (about 819 billion RMB) in the first quarter, the highest for any quarter. [Source: Tourism Marketing Watch]
Chinese Tourists Lead in Spending
Chinese tourists spent the most, totalling 352.6 billion yen (about 15 billion RMB). Tourists from Taiwan, South Korea, the USA, Hong Kong, and Australia followed them. Notably, while Chinese tourists spent a lot on shopping, the main expense for all visitors was hotel stays, which amounted to 561.9 billion yen. The proportion of money spent on accommodations rose from 28.6% in early 2019 to 32.1% in 2024, while spending on shopping dropped from 35.9% to 29.2%.
Rising Hotel Prices in Japan
Hotel prices in Japan are still climbing sharply. During Japan’s Golden Week—a lengthy holiday in early May similar to China’s—hotel prices in cities like Sapporo, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Fukuoka saw significant hikes. A survey showed that one-fourth of hotels raised their prices by more than 30%, and three-quarters increased their prices by at least 10%. [Source: Travel Industry]
South Korea’s Visitor Numbers in First Quarter of 2024 Nearly Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels
On April 29th, South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization reported that South Korea welcomed 3.403 million foreign visitors in the first quarter of this year. This figure represents 88.6% of the visitor numbers from the same period in 2019, marking the highest quarterly record since the onset of the pandemic. Notably, South Korea hosted 1.392 million foreign visitors in March alone, reaching 97.1% of the March 2019 figures, also a post-pandemic high. [Source: Tourism Marketing Watch]
Hungarian National Tourism Board Promotes New “Art Journey” Tourism Product
From April 23 to 25, the Hungarian National Tourism Board and its partners held a spring roadshow in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing to promote tourism. Representatives from the consulates in these three cities, VFS Global Visa Center and China Southern Airlines, attended the events. The roadshow attracted over 300 companies from these cities, who engaged in deep exchanges with exhibitors from Hungary. Focusing on cultural exchanges and educational tourism—a category with a strong market in China—the Hungarian National Tourism Board introduced new educational tourism products specifically for the Chinese market. This roadshow aims to draw more attention from the Chinese market to Hungary’s new tourism resources and opportunities, enhancing cooperation and exploring more possibilities in Hungary. [Source: Global Culture and Tourism List]
Scotland Emphasizes Sustainable Tourism Resources to the Chinese Market
The Scottish Tourism Board is vigorously promoting sustainable tourism to the Chinese market. It encourages Chinese tourists to extend their stays, slow down, explore more regions, support local economies, and interact with locals during their travels.
Ms Zhou Jiami, the China and East Asia Regional Manager for VisitScotland, stated that Scotland is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045. Sustainable tourism is a priority for VisitScotland and the wider Scottish tourism industry. During the “VisitScotland Connect 2024” tourism expo, VisitScotland invited representatives from top Chinese bespoke travel agencies to explore Scotland’s sustainable tourism offerings firsthand. The initiative aims to encourage more Chinese tourists to adopt a “slow travel” approach during their visits to Scotland.
Additionally, as more tourists seek destinations and businesses with strong green credentials, VisitScotland has launched a Green Certification Program for tourism businesses. This program allows companies to demonstrate their environmental commitment to the public visibly and verifiably. [Source: TTG Travel Industry Network]
China Tops the List of Tourists to Thailand; Thailand Teams Up with Michelin for a Culinary Journey and Seizes Festival Opportunities
According to a report from Thailand’s top news website on April 23, the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports revealed that from January 1 to April 21, approximately 11.297 million foreign tourists arrived in Thailand, spending a total of about 544.861 billion Thai Baht (approximately 107 billion RMB). Among these, Chinese tourists were the most numerous, totalling 2.152 million, followed by visitors from Malaysia (1.467 million), Russia (727,000), South Korea (643,000), and India (587,000).
A report from the Thai Chinese News website on April 17 stated that the Thai Civil Aviation Authority is optimistic about the growth of the aviation industry in the second half of the year. Following visa exemption measures, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand surged by 60%. The peak tourist season in Thailand, which lasts several months, supports this growth. In the first quarter of 2024, the number of passengers travelling between China and Thailand was 3.658 million, a 62.67% increase from the previous quarter. [Source: Tourism Marketing Watch]
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has also partnered with Michelin to promote culinary tourism, focusing on the new highlights of the Michelin Guide Thailand map next year, particularly in Chonburi province. Additionally, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) sees great potential in festival opportunities and has collaborated with the Thailand International Events and Festivals Trade Association (TIEFA), the Thai Mass Participation Sports Trade Association, the Thailand Entertainment Creators Network Association, and the Contemporary Art and Culture Industry Promotion Trade Association to integrate new B2B elements into festival activities.
Since the mutual visa exemption agreement between China and Thailand took effect on March 1, the number of tourists visiting each other’s countries has continued to rise. Adith Chairattananon, the Secretary-General of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), mentioned that approximately 3.5 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand in 2023. Driven by policies such as the mutual visa exemption, this number is expected to increase to between 6 million and 8 million this year. [Source: TTG Travel Industry Network]
Tropical North Queensland Tourism Board Teams Up with Ctrip for a Live Broadcast to Explore Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef
Thanks to restoring flight capacities between China and Australia and the convenience of applying for electronic visas, Australia’s popularity as a long-haul outbound tourism destination continues to rise. With the increasing desire and demand for outbound travel among Chinese residents, the Tropical North Queensland Tourism Board and Ctrip Group have launched a series of collaborations. They are focusing on promoting destinations such as Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest, and Palm Cove, catering to Chinese tourists’ travel preferences and needs. This campaign aims to attract Chinese tourists to experience the unique charm and wonders of Tropical North Queensland.
On April 16, using a Ctrip live broadcast as a platform, official hosts and guest sharers provided vivid introductions to the scenic beauty and cuisine of the Great Barrier Reef, Palm Cove, and Port Douglas. They also highlighted special activities and carefully selected high-quality travel products from Tropical North Queensland for the upcoming Labor Day and summer holidays. During the live broadcast, users could purchase a coupon package for 1 yuan, offering unprecedented discounts of up to 2500 yuan. The live session was very interactive, reaching a real-time audience of over 1 million and garnering more than 100,000 interactions. [Source: Ctrip Bulletin Board]