International arrivals to Japan recover 85% compared to pre-pandemic levels

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) announced on September 20 that in August, Japan served about 2,156,900 foreign tourists, accounting for 85.6% compared to the same period in 2019 before the Covid-19 outbreak.

The number of visitors to Japan has been steadily increasing since the country lifted all Covid-19 prevention measures in May 2023.

JNTO data shows just over 15 million visitors visited Japan in the first eight months of 2023, still far short of the record level of around 32 million in 2019.

However, in August, the recovery rate of international visitors to Japan exceeded 80% for the first time.

The total number of visitors from mainland China reached 364,100 in August, equivalent to 36.4% of pre-pandemic levels and up about 50,000 visitors from July. The Chinese government lifted restrictions on group travel to Japan for its citizens on August 10.

JNTO predicts that the full impact of this policy change will become clear after China's major holiday season begins on October 1.

Chinese tourists accounted for about 30% of total visitors and 40% of total tourist spending in Japan in 2019, said Masato Koike, an economist at the Sompo Institute. The lifting of the ban on group tours will be a big boost to spending by Chinese tourists in Japan.

Tourists are flocking to Japan, taking advantage of a slide in the yen that has made vacations the cheapest in decades. Visitors from countries including the United States and South Korea continue to exceed 2019 levels. South Korean arrivals rose 84% last month, outpacing those from China.

Earlier, data released on August 15 showed Japan's economy grew 6% annually in the second quarter of 2023, much faster than expected and supported by strong auto exports and tourism.

"In 2019, tourism contributed about 0.8% of GDP, so the contribution of the sector to economic growth in some quarters will be significant," said CLSA Japan strategist Nicholas Smith.

Japan welcomed a record 32 million visitors in 2019 and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is hoping the industry's revival will add 5 trillion yen ($34.4 billion) a year to the economy.

Tourism to Japan has been virtually at a standstill for more than two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but arrivals have steadily increased since the government resumed visa exemptions for many countries and lifted all Covid-19 control measures in May.

Minh Hoa (reported by Nhan Dan, VNA)

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