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Large-scale Chinese corporate outing planned for Japan switches to Korea as Beijing-Tokyo ties fray

Published: 20 Jan. 2026, 18:43

About 13,000 Amway China employees and members attend a corporate convention hosted by Amway China in Korea in 2014. [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

A 14,000-strong Chinese corporate outing initially planned for Japan will take place in Korea instead, marking the first major case in which worsening China-Japan ties have become a boon for Korea’s inbound tourism market.

Amway China notified its members and employees on WeChat on Tuesday that it had changed the destination of its 2027 overseas training seminar to Seoul, citing ongoing tensions in China-Japan relations.

“Considering the impact of the continued tensions in China-Japan relations, we have decided to change the destination of the 2027 overseas training seminar to Seoul, Korea, in order to ensure the smooth hosting of the seminar and provide our marketing partners with a good travel experience,” the company said in the message.

The Amway China corporate meeting, set to run for two weeks next year, had initially been scheduled to take place in Osaka, Japan. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) also shared news on Tuesday that it had attracted "14,000 Amway China members and employees to Korea" with the Amway corporate meeting.

“The event is expected to generate an economic ripple effect of about 77 billion won ($52 million), including incentive trips for employees,” the KTO said. Incentive tour groups spend about 1.83 times more per person than general group tourists and tend to combine regional visits with hands-on programs, contributing significantly to local economies.

"Work was underway to bid for the 2028 event after failing to win the 2027 meeting, but the KTO moved to secure the 2027 meeting after learning in December that the venue would be changed," a KTO official said. "Korea won the bid after competing with Hong Kong and Macau."

Chinese tourists are seen arriving at Incheon International Ferry Terminal on Jan. 12. [YONHAP]

A preliminary inspection team from Amway was invited to Korea for a week starting Jan. 3, and the KTO presented customized support measures and highlighted previous cases of global companies holding events in Korea, the official said.

“Korea is not only equipped with excellent MICE [Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events] facilities, but it also offers a wide range of K-culture experiences, making it the best destination where all participants can be satisfied,” said Wen Wen, the overall head of Amway China’s event planning division, who took part in the inspection. “Tailored support from the KTO played an important role in the decision to travel to Korea.”

Amway China last held a corporate meeting in Korea in 2014 and has not returned since. After hosting events in New Zealand, Singapore and Melbourne, Australia, it had planned to hold this year’s event in Bangkok and the 2027 meeting in Osaka. About 13,000 Amway China employees visited Korea for the 2014 meeting.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SON MIN-HO [[email protected]]