https://www.scmp.com/rss/523909/feed The latest news and top stories on China Trading Desk. A Singapore-headquartered entity in the Digital Marketing & Market Insights sector, China Trading Desk (CTD) specialises in enabling global brands to advertise effectively and understand Chinese consumers. It primarily serves international brands and agencies targeting the complex Chinese market and is known for its deep market research and data-driven approach. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee Repeat short-haul visits by Chinese travellers to South Korea are expected to rise after Seoul eased multiple-entry visa rules, but analysts say the immediate impact may be limited because of growing competition from Southeast Asia and higher airfares linked to the US-Israeli war in Iran. The South Korean embassy in Beijing announced that Chinese nationals who had previously visited South Korea would now be eligible for a five-year multiple-entry visa. Those holding residency status in 14 major... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348904/south-korea-eases-chinese-travel-visas-southeast-asia-rivals-iran-war-cloud-outlook?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348904/south-korea-eases-chinese-travel-visas-southeast-asia-rivals-iran-war-cloud-outlook?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Flight bookings in China have grown 20 per cent year on year ahead of the annual Ching Ming Festival holiday that starts this weekend and follows public school breaks in much of the country – despite higher airfares on account of rising fuel prices. Holiday bookings had reached 2.04 million flight tickets as of Thursday, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing figures from data provider TravelSky Technology. CCTV’s Sunday report said cross-border holiday flight bookings inbound and outbound stood at... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348367/chinese-flight-bookings-rise-20-ahead-april-holiday-break-despite-soaring-airfares?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348367/chinese-flight-bookings-rise-20-ahead-april-holiday-break-despite-soaring-airfares?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 02:00:13 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Thailand led the list of destinations for Chinese tourists travelling overseas during this year’s extended Lunar New Year holiday, as former favourite Japan saw arrivals plummet amid a political dispute with China over Taiwan. The Southeast Asian nation saw roughly 250,000 arrivals from China during the holiday, which ran from February 15 to 23, according to the travel marketing and technology firm China Trading Desk. This year’s Lunar New Year holiday was expected to be a key period for global... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344421/chinese-tourism-japan-plunges-50-over-lunar-new-year-thailand-cashes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344421/chinese-tourism-japan-plunges-50-over-lunar-new-year-thailand-cashes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:00:14 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China’s travel industry is expecting a sharp increase in visitors to Australia during this month’s extended Lunar New Year holiday, as millions of tourists fan out across the world for a nine-day break. Industry insiders said the lure of wine, seafood, nature and flexible small-group itineraries was driving interest in the island country. Australia is projected to attract “the most travellers from China” during the break, with bookings likely to more than double over last year’s total, according... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343560/great-barrier-reef-calling-chinese-tourists-make-australia-lunar-new-year-hotspot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343560/great-barrier-reef-calling-chinese-tourists-make-australia-lunar-new-year-hotspot?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 08:00:17 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee For Choi Yu-jin, a 31-year-old Seoul-based fashion designer, the perfect getaway requires three elements: value, spotless streetscapes and unforgettable flavours. And Shanghai, she says, delivers on all counts. Three visits since 2024, with a fourth planned for April, are testament to a city that is increasingly capturing the imagination – and wallets – of South Korean travellers, buoyed by visa-free access and a burgeoning reputation for cosmopolitan appeal. “Restaurants and streets were... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341851/chinas-visa-free-waivers-spark-korean-travel-boom-underpin-tourism-revival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341851/chinas-visa-free-waivers-spark-korean-travel-boom-underpin-tourism-revival?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:30:07 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee Chinese tourist numbers are recovering across Asia after a pandemic-era contraction, buoyed by the expansion of visa-free policies and a stronger yuan. But one thing has not returned: the spending sprees that used to boost duty-free retailers around the world. The trend can be clearly seen in South Korea, which relied on Chinese travellers for 70 per cent of its duty-free sales before Covid-19. Around 5 million visitors from China arrived in the country during the first 11 months of 2025, a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339833/why-are-chinese-tourists-spending-less-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339833/why-are-chinese-tourists-spending-less-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 08:00:11 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China’s vast outbound travel market is set for further growth in 2026, boosted by the spread of visa-free policies for Chinese nationals and a stronger yuan. But visits to Japan could plummet by nearly 50 per cent amid a political dispute between Beijing and Tokyo, according to analysts and industry insiders. Mainland Chinese travellers are expected to take about 165 million to 175 million cross-border trips in 2026, up from an estimated 155 million last year, the travel marketing and technology... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339348/chinas-outbound-travel-set-soar-10-million-trips-2026-halve-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339348/chinas-outbound-travel-set-soar-10-million-trips-2026-halve-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 08:00:16 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China’s ultra-wealthy are quietly parking their private jets offshore to sidestep tougher compliance rules at home, while corporate executives are downgrading to commercial flights, analysts say, as economic headwinds hit the country’s business aircraft fleet. Aircraft owned by affluent Chinese nationals are said to be increasingly resurfacing in hubs such as Singapore and Japan, while more billionaires and corporate executives are turning to first-class commercial cabins or timeshare jet... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337814/why-are-rich-chinese-quietly-moving-private-jets-offshore-slumming-it-budget-seats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337814/why-are-rich-chinese-quietly-moving-private-jets-offshore-slumming-it-budget-seats?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 07:00:08 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee,Ralph Jennings Yeon Woo Lee,Ralph Jennings As Chinese tourists pull back from visiting Japan amid a diplomatic row, a slumping won is positioning South Korea as the new bargain destination for mainland travellers, analysts said. The Korean won has become Asia’s worst-performing currency in the second half of the year, weighed down by an interest rate gap with the United States and sustained equity outflows to the US market. In October, South Korea’s real effective exchange rate plunged to a 16-year low – falling even further than it did... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336644/why-south-korea-becoming-chinas-new-bargain-travel-hotspot-amid-japan-spat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336644/why-south-korea-becoming-chinas-new-bargain-travel-hotspot-amid-japan-spat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:00:16 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings More than 1,900 flights from China to Japan scheduled for this month have now been cancelled, according to state media reports and travel experts, as a political dispute between the two nations over Taiwan grinds on. The figure represented more than 40 per cent of the flights from mainland China to Japan scheduled for December, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday, citing data from online platforms. Li Hanming, an independent civil aviation analyst, said his research indicated that... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3334889/1900-china-japan-flights-cancelled-december-political-row-continues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3334889/1900-china-japan-flights-cancelled-december-political-row-continues?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 07:46:29 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Amid the diplomatic fallout between Tokyo and Beijing, Hunanese accountant Echo He feels relieved she has chosen Southeast Asia for her year-end trip with her husband and colleagues, instead of the popular choice, Japan. The latest spat between both nations arose on November 7 when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested her country could deploy its military forces in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait. This infuriated Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3334581/zero-drama-singapore-just-ticket-chinese-tourists-snubbing-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3334581/zero-drama-singapore-just-ticket-chinese-tourists-snubbing-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 01:30:17 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings As China’s tourists scrap plans to visit Japan en masse amid an ongoing diplomatic feud, many appear to be pivoting to an alternative destination: Russia. Chinese travel firms have reported a surge in Russia-related flight and hotel bookings in recent weeks compared with the same period last year, with analysts saying the country’s winter scenery made it a natural replacement for Japanese hotspots like the northern island of Hokkaido. Russia hotel bookings made by Chinese travellers in the two... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3334242/chinese-tourism-russia-soars-travellers-pivot-under-fire-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3334242/chinese-tourism-russia-soars-travellers-pivot-under-fire-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 09:59:55 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Japan will find it hard to replace the revenue lost if Chinese tourists keep avoiding the country amid a diplomatic row over Taiwan, a subsidiary of the data provider Fitch Solutions warned on Friday. A sustained drop-off in visitor numbers from China would “significantly impact” Japan’s retail and tourism industries, as Chinese tourists were not only Japan’s largest source of overseas visitors but were also higher-than-average spenders, subsidiary BMI said in a research note. In the short term,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333697/limited-alternatives-why-japan-will-struggle-replace-chinas-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333697/limited-alternatives-why-japan-will-struggle-replace-chinas-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 02:00:21 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Chinese airlines have recorded about 491,000 cancellations of tickets to Japan since Saturday – roughly 32 per cent of their total bookings to the typically popular destination – after Beijing advised citizens to avoid travelling there amid a diplomatic spat, according to a veteran aviation analyst. The percentage of flights affected skyrocketed to 82.14 per cent on Sunday and 75.6 per cent on Monday, according to independent analyst Li Hanming, citing his research data covering all mainland... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3333106/491000-japan-bound-air-tickets-cancelled-china-warns-people-avoid-travel-amid-spat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3333106/491000-japan-bound-air-tickets-cancelled-china-warns-people-avoid-travel-amid-spat?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 09:32:07 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Beijing’s decision to allow group travel to Canada to resume for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic has sparked a surge in interest in visiting the country among Chinese consumers, with Chinese travel platforms recording a jump in related searches. China announced it was ending the group tour ban in early November, just days after Chinese President Xi Jinping met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in South Korea and called for relations between the two countries to get “back onto the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3331957/canada-travel-searches-spike-china-group-tours-resume-interest-surged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3331957/canada-travel-searches-spike-china-group-tours-resume-interest-surged?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Foreign tourists in China are increasingly drawn to shopping, said Steven Zhao, CEO of China Highlights, a travel agency that organises tours of the country. “They’ll buy drones and take them back home,” he said, noting the trend has become “more obvious” over the past two years – especially among Middle Eastern travellers – as China produces an outsized share of the global total, with some devices small enough to fit in the hand. “Drone prices are cheap and the choices are numerous,” he said,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329459/great-mall-how-china-turning-foreign-tourists-shoppers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329459/great-mall-how-china-turning-foreign-tourists-shoppers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 14:30:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Mia Nurmamat Ralph Jennings,Mia Nurmamat Chinese tourism to South Korea has remained strong this week despite a rash of anti-China protests in Seoul, with no violence reported and tour groups taking advantage of a new visa-free policy – though analysts warn arrivals could dampen once the extended “super golden week” holiday ends. Scheduled flights between the two Asian countries are operating as expected, according to the regional head of an aviation intelligence firm. A travel marketing firm also said South Korea remains a top... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327799/south-koreas-anti-china-protests-fail-deter-tourists-fall-still-possible-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327799/south-koreas-anti-china-protests-fail-deter-tourists-fall-still-possible-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 00:00:10 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Visa-free travel abroad and free toll roads at home are expected to fuel a surge in travel by Chinese citizens during an extra-long holiday starting this week, in what analysts call a boon for the service economy. Total trips outside mainland China are forecast to reach between 8 million and 8.4 million – more than double the 3.8 million recorded for the holiday in 2024 – according to travel marketing and technology company China Trading Desk on Monday. Demand is “surging” for visa-free... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327402/chinas-super-golden-week-forecast-spark-travel-boom-home-and-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327402/chinas-super-golden-week-forecast-spark-travel-boom-home-and-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 01:30:15 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings When Ding Xiaohan, a software engineer from Shanghai, took her 18-year-old son to Japan for a weeklong holiday this summer, she did not hold back. The 47-year-old spent freely as they explored the affluent neighbourhood near the Tokyo Tower and the tea-producing city of Shizuoka, splashing out on sushi lunches, barbecue dinners and dolls modelled on iconic Studio Ghibli anime characters. “Japanese food and merchandise are different, higher quality – like if you buy clothing it’s more... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326162/chinese-tourists-splash-cash-japan-weak-yen-drives-travel-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326162/chinese-tourists-splash-cash-japan-weak-yen-drives-travel-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 00:00:14 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings When Gao Huasheng, a university professor from Shanghai, began planning a two-week family holiday to San Francisco earlier this year, he worried about exposing his children to scenes of drug use or even gun violence. But in the end, the 44-year-old decided to go ahead with the trip – and his fears turned out to be misplaced. The family’s visit to the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom amusement park and road trip down the Pacific coast went off without a hitch. “My children said it was exciting, not... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323643/why-chinese-tourism-us-still-rising-despite-trump-hard-replicate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323643/why-chinese-tourism-us-still-rising-despite-trump-hard-replicate?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Aug 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings After graduating from Fudan University’s prestigious MBA programme this year, Dong Wenxin wants to keep in touch with his fellow students. The 30-year-old figured many former students probably felt the same way – eager to reconnect even when scattered across China. Living in Shanghai, a major global port city with regular cruise ship departures, gave him an idea. Dong saw business potential in organising group trips that would bring former students back together for quality time at sea. Over the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316973/how-young-chinese-travellers-are-fuelling-cruise-ship-holiday-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316973/how-young-chinese-travellers-are-fuelling-cruise-ship-holiday-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 04:00:10 +0000