Several Chinese travel agencies have resumed accepting bookings for group tours to Japan, with some planning and selling packages for the July–August summer vacation season. However, some agencies later halted sales after media reports on the resumption attracted public attention in China. According to europesays.com, a travel agency affiliated with China Tourism Group has begun recruiting tourists for a six-night, seven-day itinerary including Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara, and plans to resume sales from mid-next month. Europesays.com also reported that multiple travel agencies began operating Japan group tour packages as early as last month.

The Chinese government had previously urged citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November regarding Japan’s potential involvement in a Taiwan contingency. According to english.kyodonews.net, the government instructed major domestic travel agencies to scale back Japan-bound visa applications and reduce visitors to 60 percent of usual levels. According to japantimes.co.jp, one major state-owned travel agency was ordered to stop handling all group tours to Japan, another was told to lower tour frequency to about 60 percent of previous levels, and a third was urged to cancel all sales. Authorities visited an outlet of a state-owned agency to check compliance after it ceased sales, and threatened penalties for non-compliance. The Chinese government’s instructions to travel agencies are intended to enforce its advisory against travel to Japan.