Destinations known | Kyoto is empty of Chinese tourists, and Japanese netizens would like to keep it that way
- The coronavirus has emptied the Japanese city of millions of visitors who thronged the streets and buses
- Reactions to a virtual tour for Chinese tourists suggest that netizens want to keep their city for themselves
The coronavirus might have curtailed international travel from China, but it hasn’t stopped what the United Nations World Tourism Organization identified as “the leading tourism outbound market in the world both in departure numbers as well as total expenditure” from wanting to explore beyond the nation’s borders. In lieu of real-life expeditions, they have been making do with tours of popular destinations, including the Palace of Versailles, in France, and London’s British Museum, live-streamed by travel companies.
On November 9, Alibaba’s travel platform Fliggy joined forces with the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) to “bring popular tourist attractions in Kyoto online to Chinese netizens”, according to Alizila, the news portal for Alibaba Group (owner of the South China Morning Post). The former imperial capital was chosen because of its existing popularity with travellers from the Middle Kingdom.
English-language, state-owned news channel CGTN reported that Japan overtook Thailand to become the top overseas destination for Chinese tourists in 2019. Naturally, attraction-rich Kyoto was one of the most-visited cities, affording sightseers the opportunity to admire the cherry blossoms, sample local delicacies and tour temples.
Fliggy’s first two-hour virtual tour “started with an introduction of the Sagano Scenic Railway, then proceeded to visit several sightseeing spots around Arashiyama, and even included a ride in a rickshaw”, reported online newspaper Japan Today. It was hosted by “Japanese resident and Chinese native Tokyo Archie, an influencer with over one million Chinese followers who posts content on sightseeing spots and eateries in Japan” and attracted more than 100,000 viewers in the first minute of its broadcast, “likely making it a very successful project”.
Well, its success depends on who you ask. “Japanese netizens were frankly stunned that JR West would host such an event,” stated the Japan Today article. “Many complained that Kyoto had already been suffering from overtourism before the pandemic, making the city and its sightseeing spots too crowded with ‘rude’ international travellers. No one wants to go back to those days of overstuffed buses […] so many were scathingly critical of the event.”