By Rocky Swift
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan had greater than 3 million guests for a 3rd straight month in Might, official information confirmed on Wednesday, because the weak yen helped proceed a document tempo for inbound tourism.
The variety of international guests for enterprise and leisure was 3.04 million final month, regular from the extent in April, and down barely from the all-time month-to-month document in March, information from the Japan Nationwide Tourism Group (JNTO) confirmed.
Arrivals final month have been up 60% from the identical interval final yr and 9.6% greater than in Might 2019. Japan had a document 31.9 million guests in 2019 earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic shut international borders.
The weak yen, languishing at a 34-year low towards the greenback, helps gasoline a tourism growth in Japan. That is excellent news for the financial system, with travellers spending a document 1.75 trillion yen ($11.1 billion) within the first quarter of 2024, in line with the JNTO.
However the inflow has raised issues of “overtourism” at customer scorching spots. On Monday, the mayor of Himeji in western Japan floated the concept of charging foreigners thrice the usual 1,000 yen charge to enter the town’s well-known samurai-era fort, the Asahi newspaper reported.
In explaining new path charges to curb overcrowding on Japan’s sacred Mt. Fuji, Yamanashi prefecture governor Kotaro Nagasaki advised reporters this week the nation ought to concentrate on attracting “greater spending guests” over sheer lots of individuals.
Chinese language travellers, beforehand the largest contingent of Japanese vacationers, are nonetheless about 30% decrease than pre-pandemic ranges. However travellers from different markets are choosing up the slack, corresponding to Indian guests who reached a month-to-month document in Might, JNTO information confirmed.
Dalia Feldman, advertising and marketing director for Vacationer Japan, mentioned her agency has seen an 11-fold enhance in inquiries from India previously yr, whereas these from the United Arab Emirates are up nearly eight fold.
“It seems it’s the Japanese delicacies and pure sights that appeal to them essentially the most,” Feldman mentioned. “Most of our Indian and UAE prospects will ask to incorporate some extra meals excursions of their itinerary in addition to exterior journeys to distant and scenic areas.”
($1 = 157.8200 yen)