Group 1 - The Chinese government has issued a warning for citizens to avoid traveling to Japan due to rising safety concerns and incidents involving Chinese nationals [1][5] - Major Chinese airlines, including Air China, China Southern Airlines, and China Eastern Airlines, have announced free ticket changes and refunds for flights to Japan booked before December 31, 2025 [2][3][4] - The decline in travel to Japan is expected to significantly impact the Japanese tourism industry, as Chinese tourists account for approximately 25% of all foreign visitors to Japan, with nearly 7.5 million visitors from mainland China in the first nine months of this year [5]

Core Viewpoint - The Chinese government has issued a warning for its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan due to rising safety concerns and incidents involving Chinese nationals [1][5]. Airline Responses - Seven airlines, including Air China, China Southern Airlines, and China Eastern Airlines, have announced free ticket changes and refunds for flights to Japan booked before December 31, 2025 [2][3][4]. - Air China allows free changes for tickets purchased before November 15, 2023, for flights to various Japanese cities, with specific conditions on changes and refunds [2]. - China Southern Airlines has similar policies, allowing free cancellations and changes for tickets purchased before the same date, with conditions on fare differences [3]. - China Eastern Airlines permits one free change for tickets involving Japan, with additional conditions for further changes [4]. - Other airlines such as Shenzhen Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, and Spring Airlines have also issued similar policies regarding free changes and refunds for flights to Japan [5]. Impact on Tourism - The warning and subsequent drop in travel to Japan are expected to significantly affect Japan's tourism industry, as Chinese tourists account for about 25% of all foreign visitors to Japan [5]. - In the first nine months of this year, nearly 7.5 million tourists from mainland China visited Japan, indicating a substantial market for the Japanese tourism sector [5].