3 d. ago Why are Chinese tourists spending less overseas than before?

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...

Politics

3 d. ago ‘Structurally hurt’: why are Chinese tourists spending less overseas than before?

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...

Politics

3 d. ago ‘Structurally hurt’: why are Chinese tourists spending less abroad than before?

‘Structurally hurt’: why are Chinese tourists spending less abroad than before?  South China Morning Post

Politics

4 d. ago Malaysia’s judiciary faces ‘immense pressure’ as court cases surge 60%, chief justice warns

Malaysia’s top judge has warned that the country does not have enough judges to deal with a growing workload, stressing that this has placed an “immense and growing pressure on the justice system”. In his speech at the Opening of the Legal Year 2026 on Monday, Chief Justice of Malaysia Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said that the number of court cases in Malaysia had surged in the past few years by about 60 per cent. He cited how criminal case registrations had risen from 1,522,005 cases in 2021 to...

Events

5 d. ago Two Canadian Members of Parliament End Taiwan Trip Ahead of Carney's China Visit

Two Canadian Members of Parliament End Taiwan Trip Ahead of Carney's China Visit  U.S. News & World Report

Politics

6 d. ago 8 hurt as coach with mainland Chinese tourists hits KMB bus in Hong Kong

Eight people were injured when a coach filled with tourists from mainland China crashed into the back of a KMB double-decker bus in Hong Kong’s Wong Tai Sin neighbourhood. Both vehicles were travelling along Lung Cheung Road towards Kwun Tong at about 11.40am on Sunday when the KMB bus slowed down near Wong Tai Sin Square. The coach reportedly failed to brake in time and slammed into its rear. Three passengers on the KMB bus – a man and two women aged between 63 and 80 – and five on the tour...

Events

7 d. ago Australia declares state of disaster as bushfires rip through Victoria: ‘leave, go’

Authorities in Australia declared a state of disaster on Saturday after bushfires destroyed houses and razed vast belts of forest in the country’s southeast. Temperatures soared past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) as a heatwave blanketed the state of Victoria this week, with hot winds fanning some of the most dangerous fire weather since the “Black Summer” bushfires of 2019 to 2020. One of the most destructive bushfires ripped through almost 150,000 hectares (370,000 acres) near...

Events

8 d. ago Chinese tourist in Malaysia accused of harassing rare turtle, killing sea slugs

A female tourist from China, who went diving in Semporna, Malaysia’s Sabah state, has called out another Chinese national who was seen dragging a critically endangered hawksbill turtle, breaking corals deliberately and killing sea slugs during a dive, China Press ­reported. The tourist, known only as Xiaoqing, shared on social media that she visited Sabah and went diving in Semporna on December 31 and January 3. During the first dive, Xiaoqing witnessed another diver from China who was in his...

Events

1 week ago Vietnam overtakes Thailand as Chinese tourists' top choice for travel

Vietnam welcomed a record number of foreign tourists in 2025, as a resurgence of Chinese visitors and relaxed visa policies helped lure travellers. The Southeast Asian nation received around 21.2 million international visitors last year, up 20 per cent, according to the National Statistics Office. Its previous peak was 18 million, recorded in 2019 before the pandemic. Vietnam’s surge is part of a broader realignment in Southeast Asia’s multibillion-dollar tourism industry, largely at the expense...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong records 72% jump in mainland Chinese tourists over long New Year break

Hong Kong welcomed nearly 660,000 mainland Chinese visitors over the New Year countdown and the subsequent three-day holiday across the border, a 72 per cent increase from the same period a year ago. Sector representatives said the surge was a boost for the hotel sector but brought limited benefits for retailers. Data released by the Immigration Department on Sunday showed 659,090 mainland visitors entered Hong Kong between New Year’s Eve and Saturday, accounting for 79 per cent of the total...

Politics

2 w. ago Ireland's Micheál Martin will visit China in the first trip by an Irish leader in 14 years

Ireland's Micheál Martin will visit China in the first trip by an Irish leader in 14 years  Midland Daily News

Politics

2 w. ago China state visit by South Korea’s Lee will ‘push denuclearisation, end to culture ban’

President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea will seek Beijing’s support on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and press to lift an unofficial cultural content ban when he travels to China for a state visit next week, according to Seoul. Lee’s four-day trip from Sunday will make him the first sitting South Korean president to visit China since 2019. Lee will first travel to Beijing, where he is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday afternoon, their second summit in two months. They...

Events

2 w. ago S.Korean president to visit Beijing, Shanghai in upcoming trip; NSA says ROK respects one

S.Korean president to visit Beijing, Shanghai in upcoming trip; NSA says ROK respects one-China policy: media report  Global Times

Politics

2 w. ago Malaysia’s new year revelry sees less waste as tougher littering laws kick in

Malaysia welcomed 2026 with tougher anti-littering enforcement, as New Year’s Eve celebrations saw less waste in the capital amid expanded efforts to keep the country clean. About 3.2 tonnes of rubbish were scooped up from three major hotspots in Kuala Lumpur – Dataran Merdeka, the KLCC area and Bukit Bintang – after the countdown, according to waste contractor Alam Flora. The figure marked an 11 per cent drop from the 3.6 tonnes collected a year earlier, officials said. Prime Minister Anwar...

Politics

2 w. ago Chinese tourists eye return trips for Visit Malaysia 2026: ‘hot weather, warm hospitality’

International visitors to Sabah found a treat waiting for them when they landed in Kota Kinabalu – Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) has kicked off. Those interviewed expressed excitement at learning more about this campaign, which will see a host of festivals, concerts and international sporting events in the coming months. A couple and their mother from Tianjin, China, were pleased to hear that 2026 is a special tourism year for Malaysia. “We will check out what lies ahead in this Visit Malaysia...

Society

2 w. ago Malaysia’s tourism minister urges warmer welcomes after ‘less than friendly’ complaints

Malaysia’s tourism minister has urged the public to be more friendly to visitors and take cleanliness seriously as the country ramps up preparations for Visit Malaysia 2026, after several government agencies flagged complaints from tourists about rude treatment when they sought help. Speaking on New Year’s Day at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing said he had asked for explanations after receiving the feedback. “I have received complaints and...

Politics

3 w. ago Japan loses appeal as Hongkongers favour South Korea, mainland China this Christmas

Hong Kong tourists are choosing South Korea and other mainland Chinese cities over Japan for their Christmas holidays, a trade body has said, as around 1,500 outbound tours are expected to depart the city. Fanny Yeung Shuk-fun, executive director of the Travel Industry Council, said on Wednesday that 60 per cent of Hong Kong’s tour groups would leave via high-speed rail, mostly for short-haul trips lasting three to four days. “We predict that there will be about 1,500 outbound tours during the...

Politics

3 w. ago Philippines’ struggle for Chinese tourists, flood aid remarks spark ire: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Mexico’s 50% tariff shock shuts Asia’s North American trade bypass For much of the past year, Asian exporters have been racing to stay ahead of a global tariff storm – re-routing shipments, reconfiguring supply chains and absorbing rising costs as the United States...

Events

3 w. ago Asia 2026 forecast: Vietnam, Malaysia and China lead the way

Asia 2026 forecast: Vietnam, Malaysia and China lead the way  Monocle

Politics