SINGAPORE: Tensions between China and Japan began last month due to disagreements over Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory, and Japan sees as an important partner.
Early last month, Japan, under its new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, suggested that it could respond with military force if Taiwan were to be attacked.
Among concerns that the situation may escalate, a silver lining appears to have appeared for Singapore, especially for the tourism sector, especially after Nov 17, when China’s foreign affairs ministry and the Chinese embassy in Japan warned its citizens against visits to Japan, with some of the country’s airlines even saying they would refund tickets people have bought.
The Chinese were told that this was because the situation posed “significant risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan.”
According to a report in The Guardian, hundreds of thousands of flight tickets to Japan were cancelled after the official warnings were issued. Between Nov 15 and 17 alone, around 500,000 tickets were cancelled. Moreover, all of Sichuan Airlines’ flights between Chengdu and Sapporo from January until late March were also cancelled, as were a number of Spring Airlines flights to Japan, although both carriers said that “company planning” was the reason for the cancellations.
Some Chinese citizens have been choosing to visit Singapore, among other Southeast Asian countries, instead.
A Chinese visitor to the Little Red Dot was quoted in the South China Morning Post as saying that while there has been some nervousness among Chinese tourists to visit Japan, as there could be “some unfriendliness towards us,” in contrast, “Singapore is easy and comfortable.”
SCMP added that aside from Singapore, Chinese tourists are now planning to visit South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
“People have different reasons. Some are concerned about safety or political tensions, while others simply feel more comfortable exploring places that are closer, familiar, or perceived as more stable. As a result, Southeast Asia has become a more attractive option for certain groups of travellers,” a Chinese undergraduate who was visiting Singapore and was travelling to other Southeast Asian countries told SCMP.
More travel bookings to Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries mean that Japan’s tourism industry is set to take a significant hit. A Bloomberg report from Nov 21 said that Japan could lose up to US$1.2 billion (S$1.55 billion) in visitor spending.
“We are seeing a very sharp shock to Japan demand out of China,” Bloomberg quoted Subramania Bhatt, chief executive officer of China Trading Desk, as saying. /TISG
