Japan’s National Tourism Organization (JNTO) announced on Wednesday (August 21) that the latest data shows a significant increase in the number of foreign visitors to Japan in July, reaching a total of 3.29 million individuals. This marks a 41.9% year-on-year growth and sets a new monthly record for the second consecutive month.
Preliminary figures indicate that the total number of foreign visitors to Japan in July surpassed the levels from July 2019 before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, showing a 10.1% increase. This growth trend has persisted for five consecutive months, surpassing the 3 million threshold.
Furthermore, from January to July this year, the cumulative number of visitors to Japan reached approximately 21.07 million people, breaking the 20 million mark at the fastest pace on record.
In July, visitors from 19 countries and regions including South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong reached historic highs. Both Hong Kong and Mexico achieved their highest monthly visitor numbers ever.
Chinese visitors accounted for the highest number by country or region, with 776,500 people, an increase of approximately 2.5 times (148%) compared to the same period last year. South Korea followed with 757,700 people, showing a 20.9% increase from the previous year when it held the top spot.
Taiwan ranked third with 571,700 visitors, a 35.4% increase year-on-year, followed by Hong Kong with 279,100 visitors, marking a 29% growth. Visitors from the United States totaled 251,200, up 26.3% from the previous year.
Data reveals significant numbers of inbound tourists from the Philippines and Thailand, with 55,500 and 53,500 visitors respectively, showing increases of 7.3% and 7.8% compared to the same period last year.
In addition to China, countries with growth rates exceeding 50% include Russia with 5,700 visitors (76% increase) and Mexico with 16,000 visitors (60% increase).
For many years, Japan’s traditional tourism industry has focused on the domestic market. Since 2000, the number of foreign visitors to Japan and their travel expenditures have been increasing annually, driven by government policies. In recent years, the sharp depreciation of the Japanese yen has attracted a large influx of tourists from around the world, further boosting this trend.
Despite the surge in the number of visitors, the Japanese government’s goal of reaching 60 million foreign visitors by 2030 faces several challenges. These include accommodation facilities struggling to meet demand due to labor shortages and negative impacts such as traffic congestion resulting from the booming tourism industry.
In March of last year, the Japanese government formulated the “Fourth Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Plan,” outlining three main objectives: sustainable tourism industry development, increased consumption, and promotion of local tourism. To achieve these goals, the Japanese tourism sector plans to conduct strategic inbound tourism promotion activities while closely analyzing market trends.