Korea Tops, Taiwan Second: Japan's May 2026 Market Ranking as China SlumpsA · FULL TRANSLATION
- Japan's May 2026 market ranking: South Korea first (951,300), Taiwan second (616,800), USA third (333,700).
- Mainland China (313,000) slipped to fourth, clearly overtaken by Taiwan.
- Cumulative Jan–May growth: Taiwan +22.3%, Korea +20.6%, India +22.2% lead; China -56.2% at the bottom.
- Korea and Taiwan combined for about 1.57 million in May, roughly 44% of the total — the twin engines holding up inbound demand.
The single most striking change in Japan's May 2026 market ranking is China's demotion. With only 313,000 visitors, China was clearly overtaken by Taiwan's 616,800 and fell to fourth, behind Korea (951,300), Taiwan and the USA (333,700). The Chinese group-tour cohort that once anchored the top tier is now less than half Taiwan's size.
Holding up the headline number are the Korea–Taiwan twin engines. Together they brought about 1.57 million visitors in May, roughly 44% of the 3.56 million total; their Jan–May cumulative growth rates were +20.6% and +22.3% respectively. Europe and Southeast Asia ran hot too: India +22.2%, Malaysia +15.4%, Singapore +12.2%, USA +8.2% cumulative.
For lodging, retail and airlines, the signal is clear: realign marketing and capacity toward short-haul, high-frequency Korean and Taiwanese independent travelers, plus high-spending long-haul Western visitors. A summer rebound from China would be upside, but until visibility returns, the steady bet is Taiwan, Korea and the West. June data is due July 15.
[Compiled from official JNTO data under its standard terms of use]
May 2026 inbound visitors by country/region (preliminary), high to low: Korea 951,300; Taiwan 616,800; USA 333,700; Mainland China 313,000; Hong Kong 207,900; Thailand 98,800; Philippines 85,000; Australia 82,300; Singapore 76,600; Malaysia 72,200; Canada 69,400; Vietnam 58,000; Indonesia 56,800; India 56,500; UK 55,200; Germany 50,200; France 48,500.
Cumulative Jan–May growth: Taiwan +22.3%, Korea +20.6%, India +22.2%, Malaysia +15.4%, Singapore +12.2%, USA +8.2%, Thailand +4.5%, Australia +4.2%, Hong Kong -1.8%, China -56.2%.
Total May arrivals: 3,559,900 (-3.6% YoY); cumulative Jan–May 17,936,000 (-1.1%).
Note: Figures are estimated by JNTO based on Japan Ministry of Justice data. Cite the source as 'Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)'.