Holiday Ayo - A Chinese travel agency is reporting a spike in inquiries from its country's tourists about the risks of traveling to Japan following the death of Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu from influenza-related pneumonia. 

Many would-be travelers are now starting to reconsider their trips to Japan amid the biggest flu outbreak in 25 years. 

According to a Global Times report, an employee of Beijing-based Guangda Travel Agency revealed that although the number of tourists planning a trip to Japan has not changed significantly, there has been an increase in questions regarding travel risks, health insurance and treatment recommendations.

Reporting from Vnexpress, Sunday (9/2), many tourists also began to compare the severity of the flu outbreak in Japan with the previous flu wave that occurred in China.

On Chinese social media, Barbie Hsu's death became the most searched topic on Weibo. Meanwhile, the term Japanese flu also received great attention.

As one of the favorite destinations for Chinese tourists, Japan is now facing heated debate in cyberspace.

Many netizens shared their experiences of being exposed to influenza while visiting Japan, which further increased public concern.

According to Kyodo News, Chinese tourists were the second largest group of tourists visiting Japan last year, with the number reaching 6.98 million people or almost three times as many as in 2023.

Only South Korea had more tourists, with 8.82 million visitors. The death of the Shancai actor on Sunday, February 2 2025 while on holiday with his family to celebrate Chinese New Year in Japan, prompted health experts in Thailand and Hong Kong to issue warnings to their citizens. 

They recommend that tourists reconsider traveling to Japan or at least prepare themselves well for the risk of influenza. 

According to an Associated Press report, Japan is currently facing its worst flu outbreak in 25 years.

Data from Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases shows that from September 2, 2024 to January 26, 2025, there were approximately 9.52 million influenza cases recorded in the country. 

Although Japan remains a favorite tourist destination, a surge in flu cases has raised concerns among international tourists. 

With the increasing number of inquiries about travel insurance and health precautions, many travelers are now taking extra care before heading to Japan.