Chinese cruise ship changes course to avoid Japanese port

Chinese cruise operators are looking to avoid Japanese ports amid rising tensions.

Travel agents and ports say tensions, sparked by recent comments by new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, could force Chinese tourists to divert from Japan to South Korea.

A Chinese cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, changed its December itinerary to avoid stopping at the Japanese ports of Fukuoka, Sasebo and Nagasaki as planned. Instead, the ship will stay on Jeju Island for 31 to 57 hours, longer than the usual nine hours, according to a notice posted on the website of the Jeju Provincial Government in South Korea.

An official from Jeju province said the cruise ship operator had requested the schedule change without giving a reason. “We suspect it was due to China-Japan relations,” the official said, according to SCMP.

Adora Cruises did not respond to requests for comment.

Adora Magic City cruise ship expected to change course to avoid Japan

PHOTO: SCMP

Japan is facing losses after Chinese tourists canceled tours to the country, with Tokyo-based East Japan International Travel Service saying it had lost 80% of its bookings for the rest of the year.

Other Chinese cruise lines are also in talks to change course, said Lee Yong-gun, CEO of South Korean port agency Eastern Shipping.

The cruise ship operator Dream, which sailed from the Chinese city of Tianjin, wants to avoid Japan and divert to a South Korean port in Incheon or Busan in the coming weeks, Mr. Lee said.

Tianjin Orient International Cruise Line, the ship operator, did not respond to requests for comment.

South Korea emerged as the top destination for Chinese travelers in terms of international flight tickets booked during the weekend of November 15 and 16, according to data from online travel agency Qunar.

Several Chinese airlines have refunded flights to Japan, a move that is expected to boost air travel to South Korea.

The CEO of Jeju Air said the South Korean budget airline is expecting an increase in Chinese tourists, although there is no immediate impact.

New Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has suggested that Tokyo could deploy military forces if a conflict breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, which has been the source of tension between China and Japan since early November.

Beijing has repeatedly urged its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan; some Chinese airlines are offering full refunds for trips to Japan through the end of the year.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/du-thuyen-trung-quoc-chuyen-huong-ne-tranh-den-cang-nhat-ban-185251125160050232.htm