2024/02/06 / Last updated : 2024/02/06 東京支店 blog

2.73 MILLION VISITORS TO JAPAN LAST DECEMBER

On the 17th, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) reported that the estimated foreign visitor count to Japan for December 2023 reached 2,734,000, marking the highest figure since the onset of the new coronavirus pandemic. The total number of foreign visitors for the entire year of 2023 amounted to 25,066,100, which is 6.5 times higher than the 2022 figure and approximately 80% of the pre-coronavirus level observed in 2019.

December witnessed a record-breaking influx of visitors, with South Korea leading the way at 782,700 individuals, more than triple the 2019 count. Taiwan followed with a 14% increase, hosting 399,500 visitors, while China experienced a 56% decrease with 312,400 people, and Hong Kong saw a marginal 0.6% rise, reaching 251,100 visitors. The United States recorded a noteworthy 26.8% increase, totaling 183,200 people.

Besides South Korea and the United States, notable growth was observed in Mexico, boasting a 40% increase (9,100 people), the Middle East with a 29.6% rise (7,200 people), and Australia with a 23.2% surge. However, Russia witnessed a decline of 62.6%, with the number of visitors dropping to 3,300.

The overall annual visitor count to Japan has rebounded to 78.6% of pre-coronavirus levels. Following the removal of border measures in April, the cases experienced a “rapid recovery” according to JNTO, and by October, the monthly figures surpassed those of the same month in 2019 for the first time.