Travel wishlists for people all over the world can be influenced by locations, food and cultures seen in films and on TV. But sometimes a country’s reputation can turn on a knife edge, as Japan and Thailand have discovered, after falling several places in the estimation of Chinese holidaymakers.

Both destinations had enjoyed the highest spots in Chinese vacation wishlists in early 2023, according to China Trading Desk’s quarterly market sentiment reports, based on opinion polling of over 10,000 Chinese citizens the majority of whom (94%) are under 40.

But results for the third quarter reveal that the importance Chinese people place on eating good food while they are abroad has caused them to question Japan as a place to visit. Thailand’s tourism sector meanwhile has suffered a reputational blow with would-be Chinese visitors because of plotlines in recent Chinese movies.

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