Japan tourism bounces back, welcomes 2 million foreign visitors in September

In a robust comeback for Japan's tourism sector, official data revealed that for the fourth consecutive month in September, the country welcomed over 2 million international visitors.

This, as per Reuters, signals a significant stride towards pre-pandemic levels.

Millions of visitors

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According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the count of foreign visitors, both for leisure and business purposes, reached 2.18 million last month, a slight uptick from August's 2.16 million.

This surge in numbers is equal to a noteworthy 96.1 per cent recovery compared to the levels observed in 2019 — before the onset of the global COVID-19 travel restrictions — reports the news agency.

Japan had some of the most stringent COVID-19 border restrictions. These were relaxed a year ago, and since then Japan has progressively resumed visa-free travel for many nations and ultimately eliminated all remaining controls by May.

Day and night difference

The rapid resurgence in arrivals peaked at 2.32 million in July, fuelled by increased international flight capacities. The yen's depreciation, to a nearly 33-year low, has also added to making Japan an increasingly attractive and cost-effective destination.

Talking to Reuters, John Hardisty, a 48-year-old engineer from Hawaii, noted the stark contrast in expenses between the United States and Japan.

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"With inflation in the United States, everything is outrageously expensive, and coming here, it's a lot cheaper," he said, adding, "It's like a night and day difference."

While the number of visitors from key markets such as the United States, South Korea, and Singapore hit record highs in September, travellers from Mexico also surged to an all-time high for any given month, reported the JNTO.

This demand, as per Reuters, has helped compensate for the notable shortfall in arrivals from mainland China, which are still lagging behind figures from 2019 by 60 per cent.

Although there was a slight improvement in Chinese arrivals following Beijing's relaxation of group travel restrictions to Japan, tensions have escalated due to Japan's decision to release treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean.

Economist Masato Koike from Sompo Institute Plus credits this to the ramifications of the treated water issue from Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. Koike says, "The trend towards recovery is likely to remain unchanged."

While the recent data reflects promising growth, with over 17 million visitors arriving in Japan during the first nine months of 2023, it is still significantly lagging from the peak of approximately 32 million visitors recorded in 2019.

(With inputs from agencies)

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