China resumes overseas group tours to 20 countries, Japan not included

China on Monday resumed overseas group tours for Chinese citizens after a roughly 3-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the tours will be limited to 20 countries, with Japan excluded from the list.

Japan’s tourism and retail industry had been hoping for the resumption of group tours from China as they comprised a major portion of inbound travelers before the pandemic, but the prospect of their return remains uncertain.

Beijing opposes Tokyo’s recent decision to strengthen border controls for travelers inbound from China following a surge in coronavirus cases in the country.

The 20...