The spread of human-eating bacteria hasn’t stopped more tourists from entering Japan and spending more money than ever before. A new government report says the first quarter of 2024 broke records for foreign visitors to Japan. Where did this tourist come from?
3 million people traveled to Japan in March
According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), more than 3 million foreigners visited Japan in March alone, breaking the record for the most number of tourists visiting Japan in a single month.
The number of inbound tourists who entered Japan in March this year was 3,081,600, JNTO announced on Wednesday.
This is the first time since 1964, when Japan began recording the number of tourists visiting Japan, that the number has exceeded 3 million.
The combination of cherry blossom blooming season and the weaker yen is said to be the main reason for the increase in foreign tourists.
Compared to pre-pandemic levels, Japan welcomed 11.6% more inbound tourists in March this year than in the same month in 2019.
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Koreans are the biggest travelers
The largest number of travelers from Japan were Koreans, followed by Taiwanese. In March, the number of Western tourists who used their Easter holidays to visit Japan increased, and the number of visitors from the United States jumped from 148,700 in February to a whopping 291,000. In February, the United States ranked fifth in tourist arrivals after Hong Kong, but in March it surpassed Hong Kong to rank fourth.
March 2024 Number of inbound tourists
Korea 663,100
Taiwan 484,400
China 452,400
America 291,000
Hong Kong 231,400
Thailand 131,700
Korean travelers rate Japan as the best destination in terms of value for money. Japanese food is popular in my home country, and Japanese restaurants are breaking the law to recreate the Japanese dining experience.
Tourists spent more yen than ever before
Total spending by inbound tourists within a quarter also reached a record high.
According to the Japan Tourism Agency, from January to March this year, foreign tourists spent a total of 1,750.5 billion yen ($11,326,610,250) in Japan. In terms of per capita spending, personal spending increased by 41.6% compared to the same period in 2019. The average amount spent by each visitor to Japan was 20,8760 yen ($1,350).
Clashes between locals and tourists
However, not everyone wants to see an increase in tourists to Japan. A growing number of local residents are complaining that their livelihoods are being destroyed by excessive tourism. Complaints range from crowded buses to ill-mannered visitors who don’t respect local customs. Popular places like Shirakawa-go suffer from overcrowding and garbage management.
Japan’s government and local governments are taking steps not to reduce the number of tourists, but to at least address the burden that tourism places on residents. Kyoto City has taken several measures to curb tourists. These include creating a dedicated transportation system for tourists and imposing fines on tourists who trespass on private roads in Gion, the city’s red-light district.
Same boost at local level
Lantern lighting festival in Miyaji. (Photo: Hiroko / PIXTA)
According to a public survey released by Miyazu City on Wednesday, the number of inbound tourists staying in the city last year was approximately 15 times that of 2022, making 2023 the city’s biggest tourism year ever. I understand.
The city is famous for Amanohashidate, a scenic sandbar that stretches more than 3 kilometers between Miyazu Bay and the Aso Sea in the Seto Inland Sea.
The number of foreigners who stayed in Miyazu City in 2023 was 57,717, a significant increase from the previous year’s record high of 3,907, and an increase of 6.4% compared to 2020.
City officials attribute the influx of tourists to the weaker yen and the relaxation of coronavirus countermeasures.
Nationally, tourist spending in Miyazu City has increased to an all-time high locally.
source of information
Daily visitors exceeded 3 million for the first time, the highest ever for a single month in March.Asahi Shimbun
[Breaking news]The number of foreign visitors to Japan exceeded 3 million for the first time in history, reaching a record high of 3,081,600 in March, 10% more than before the coronavirus. FNN Prime Online
Fear of tourist pollution in northern Kyoto too The number of foreign guests in Miyazu City has increased by about 15 times compared to last year.Sankei Shimbun
