Business May. 01, 2008 - 06:20AM JST ( 2 )

TOKYO —

Demand for travel to China among Japanese people has been sluggish despite the approach of the Beijing Olympics. Olympic host countries usually enjoy increases in the number of travelers ahead of the Games, but this does not appear to be true in the case of China, industry sources said.

The number of Japanese travelers to China during Golden Week is expected to fall 20% from the year-before level, according to leading Japanese travel agency JTB Corp.

China is being shunned as a travel destination due to concerns about the Tibetan situation and the safety of Chinese foods, an official of a major travel agency said.

Data compiled by the Japan Association of Travel Agents have shown that the number of people joining package tours to China organized by six major Japanese travel agencies has been falling year on year since November last year.

The situation went even worth after a food poisoning incident in Japan caused by pesticide-tainted Chinese-made “gyoza” dumplings came to light in late January this year.

In March, the number of Japanese taking tours to China slumped about 40% from a year before. Bookings for such tours have remained slow this month.

Meanwhile, sales of tours for watching the Beijing Olympics in August are brisk.

JTB’s tours to watch soccer, baseball and other popular sports have sold out. Kinki Nippon Tourist Co has so far sold some 70% of such tours.

Industry officials said bookings for such tours are expected to increase as more details of the Olympic program are announced.

But the popularity of such tours may have been exaggerated by Olympic fans and does not necessarily signal a recovery in overall demand for travel to China, a JTB official said.

Many industry officials are pinning hopes on a recovery of trips to China, a low-cost travel destination, at a time when the industry as a whole faces weak demand for overseas travel due to rising expenses reflecting surging oil prices.

An executive at a major travel agency expressed hope that China will complete the Olympic Games without a hitch, adding that the success of the Games is expected to help mitigate concern about China among Japanese people.

JCN