Japan sets monthly record for amount of tourists visiting country

Travellers spent 5.86 trillion yen in Japan through September of this year

Nov 20, 2024 - 21:01

0 6

Japan sets monthly record for amount of tourists visiting country

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Japan welcomed a record 3.31 million visitors last month, official data showed on Wednesday, as the weak yen propelled a tourism boom that is pouring money into the nation’s coffers.

The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure rose from 2.87 million in September and exceeded the previous monthly record of 3.29 million set in July, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) showed.

Through October, about 30.2 million tourists have arrived in Japan, just shy of the annual record of 31.9 million set in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic shut global borders.

Japan’s famous autumn leaf colours contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe, and North America, the JNTO said. Through October, 11 countries and regions have surpassed annual records for sending visitors to Japan.

Travellers spent 5.86 trillion yen ($37.72 billion) in Japan through September of this year, preliminary figures showed last month. That eclipsed the 5.3 trillion yen they spent in all of 2023, a record for any 12-month period.

A person takes pictures of Mount Fuji from across the street of a convenience store, hours before the installation of a barrier to block the sight of Japan's Mount Fuji

A person takes pictures of Mount Fuji from across the street of a convenience store, hours before the installation of a barrier to block the sight of Japan's Mount Fuji (AFP via Getty Images)

Tourism spending, classified as an export in national accounts, is poised to become Japan’s second-biggest export sector after autos and ahead of electronic components.

Earlier this year Dalia Feldman, marketing director for Tourist Japan, said her firm has seen an 11-fold increase in inquiries from India in the past year, while those from the United Arab Emirates are up almost eight fold.

“It appears it is the Japanese cuisine and natural sights that attract them the most,” Feldman said. “Most of our Indian and UAE customers will ask to include some more food tours in their itinerary as well as external trips to remote and scenic areas.”

The weak yen, languishing at a 34-year low against the dollar, is helping fuel a tourism boom in Japan. That’s good news for the economy, with travellers spending a record 1.75 trillion yen ($11.1 billion) in the first quarter of 2024, according to the JNTO.

But the influx has raised concerns of “overtourism” at visitor hot spots. The mayor of Himeji in western Japan floated the idea of charging foreigners three times the standard 1,000 yen fee to enter the city’s famous samurai-era castle, the Asahi newspaper reported.

In explaining new trail fees to curb overcrowding on Japan’s sacred Mt. Fuji, Yamanashi prefecture governor Kotaro Nagasaki told reporters this week the country should focus on attracting “higher spending visitors” over sheer masses of people.