According to data released by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the number of foreign tourists to Japan in January of this year reached 2,689,400 visitors, an increase of 7.5% over January 2017 and representing a new January record for Japanese tourist arrivals.
The figures include a 19.3% increase in arrivals from China, up from 632,304 to 754,400, a 10.5% increase from Taiwan to 387,500 and 27.8% increase from Vietnam to 35,400 – three fastest growth tourist sources.
The increase in tourists from China and Taiwan is attributed to an increase in airplane seats and to the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) holiday at the beginning of February this year, while those from Vietnam follows recent promotions pushing travel packages to Japan. There is also continued economic development in Vietnam with the growth rate of ultra-wealthy citizens ranking third in the world. It is estimated that this growth rate will rank Vietnam first globally by 2026.
“The tourist marked in Japan has been changing due to the global situation and the diversification of tourist destinations,” said the JNTO. “We will continue to carefully analyze the market trends and promote Japan as a tourist destination.”