Survey of the Behaviors and Willingness of Chinese Travelers in a Coastal Area to Visit Japan under the Zero Covid-19 Policy

Abstract

This research aimed to evaluate the current attitudes of Chinese travelers. We conducted a survey of Chinese tourists traveling in China’s coastal area under the national Zero Covid-19 Policy. The surveys were conducted during two periods: the first was from September 28-October 7, 2022; the second from October 29-November 16, 2022. Both took place before China announced national Covid-19 tolerance in December 2022. All participants were interviewed face-to-face using a questionnaire created by our research team. The results of correspondence analyses revealed the following. Chinese travelers were somewhat indifferent about traveling during the Covid-19 restrictions, especially groups 20–29 and 30–39 years old. On the other hand, the Covid-19 restrictions appeared to have less effect on those under 20 years old. In imagining the after-Covid-19 era, although those 30–39 were willing to travel to Japan, those 20–29 were neutral about the idea. Although familiarity with the Tohoku area, especially Iwate Prefecture, was very low among Chinese travelers according to the results, we assume their willingness to visit Miyako City in Iwate Prefecture is rather high. To promote Chinese interest in the tourist resources of Miyako City, we assume that it would be better to use popular Chinese SNS systems such as Weibo, WeChat, and TikTok, rather than popular Japanese SNS systems.