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China’s tourists turn from Japan to South-east Asia, but will momentum last?
The region could see Chinese spending worth US$35 billion this year – but what happens when tensions with Japan subside?
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Published Fri, Mar 20, 2026 · 02:00 PM — Updated Wed, Mar 25, 2026 · 05:10 PM
[SINGAPORE] Ren Zihan, a resident of the northern Chinese city of Dalian, feels as if all her friends are vacationing in South-east Asia lately.
Pictures of durians and hawker food have filled her social media feed, the 32-year-old tells The Business Times. “It seems as if everyone is in Malaysia and Singapore at the moment.”
Beyond the usual phenomenon of travellers seeking warmer destinations during the winter months, a new factor is pushing Chinese tourists south.
