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

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

8 d. ago Domestic helper gets 5 months’ jail in Hong Kong for abusing 11

A domestic helper has been sentenced to five months in jail for abusing an 11‑month‑old baby in her employer’s home in Hong Kong. Eastern Court on Friday heard the guilty plea of the 41-year-old helper, who admitted to ill-treating the baby at a flat in Happy Valley on November 11 last year. The defendant’s full name was concealed, and she was identified only as “AJB” in court proceedings. In mitigation, her lawyer said she was a first-time helper from the Philippines who had struggled to adapt...

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 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

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

last month Stranded China tourist in Japan invited to stay overnight sends 300 masks to host during Covid

A Chinese tourist stranded in Japan, having been assisted by a local man who invited him to stay the night, sent 300 masks during the Covid-19 pandemic as a gesture of gratitude. Recently, the Japanese variety show The World’s Astonishing News! highlighted a 2016 story of friendship between China and Japan, sparking discussions among netizens in both countries. Shaojin, a Japanese anime enthusiast from Yinchuan city in northwestern China, travelled alone to Takayama, a city in central Japan, on...

Politics