Chinese Tourists Flock to South Korea Over Japan for Lunar Holiday Amid Visa Ease

Bookings estimates and flight data show South Korea is on track to overtake Japan as the top destination for Chinese travelers during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some 230,000 to 250,000 mainland visitors are expected to arrive in South Korea for the nine-day holiday starting Feb. 15, according to market researcher China Trading Desk, which specializes in travel analysis. That’s a jump of as much as 52% over last year’s break, which was a day shorter.