China’s travel advisory against visiting Japan has nudged tour operators to cancel prebooked flights and hotels for group travelers in December and suspend the marketing of such trips to locals, as a diplomatic spat shows no signs of abating.
In the days after the safety warning — a response to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan — at least two state-owned Chinese travel agencies scrapped group bookings made months in advance, according to people familiar with the matter.
The proactive move was aimed at protecting the agencies against potential losses amid policy uncertainty and shifting sentiment, said the people, who asked not to be identified commenting on the geopolitically sensitive topic. The cancellations were made easier by Chinese airlines’ offer to waive cancellation fees, and allow flexible rebooking options, they said.
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