The Japanese public welcomes a Chinese tourist drought … but what about businesses?

Beijing’s advisory, issued on Monday through the Chinese foreign ministry and diplomatic missions, cites security concerns in Japan and a claimed rise in crimes targeting Chinese nationals.

It comes amid heightened diplomatic friction between the two neighbours and has coincided with a sharp drop in visitors from China, traditionally one of Japan’s most important inbound markets.

Despite the tensions, tour operators say business has so far remained resilient, buoyed by strong demand from other parts of Asia, Europe and the United States.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO), there were 330,400 arrivals from mainland China in December, a drop of more than 45 per cent from the same month a year earlier. Overall arrivals for the month, however, totalled nearly 3.62 million, up 3.7 per cent year on year, driven by visitors taking advantage of the weak yen.