Japan last year welcomed a record 31 million foreign visitors, official government data showed yesterday, as the country gears up to host this year’s Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
The world’s third-largest economy — also known for its ancient temples and vibrant pop culture — last year welcomed 31.2 million visitors from across the world, up 8.7 percent from the previous year, the Japan National Tourism Organization said.
Visitors from Asian countries dominated the inbound tourist figures, with more than 8 million Chinese (up 13.9 percent) and 7.5 million South Koreans (up 5.6 percent) visiting Japan.
Taiwanese tourists were next, accounting for 4.8 million people.
Collectively the visitors, which included businesspersons with limited-term stays, spent a record ￥4.5 trillion (US$41.37 billion) in Japan, the Japan Tourism Agency said.
The Chinese visitors were the biggest spenders, spending a substantial ￥1.54 trillion — or just more than one-third of the total tourism outlay.
Japan is banking on international tourism to help boost its economy, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe aiming to attract 40 million tourists by the summer of 2020, when Tokyo hosts the Olympic Games.
The Japanese government’s tourism efforts have partly been prompted by the country’s demographic crisis, as its shrinking population ages and consumption remains chronically weak.
The growth in Japan’s tourism is also thanks to an expansion in low-cost carriers and an increased number of cruise ship visits.
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