The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a record high for a single month in July, according to government data released on Wednesday. The total number of visitors was 3.29 million, which is a 41.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year. This figure also represents a 10.1 percent rise from July 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The Japan National Tourism Organization reported that this is the fifth consecutive month where visitor numbers have exceeded three million. In fact, between January and July of this year, there were approximately 21.07 million visitors to Japan, surpassing the 20 million mark at the fastest pace ever recorded.
While this surge in tourism is positive for Japan’s economy and its goal of attracting an annual total of 60 million foreign visitors by 2030, it also presents challenges for the country. Some accommodations are facing labor shortages as they struggle to meet the demand from tourists. Additionally, there are concerns about issues such as traffic congestion caused by the influx of visitors.
Data shows that visitor numbers from several countries and regions hit record highs in July as well. China had the largest number of visitors at 776,500, which is around two and a half times higher than last year’s figure. South Korea followed closely behind with 757,700 visitors, representing a growth rate of 20.9 percent compared to last year.
Taiwan ranked third with 571,700 visitors (a growth rate of 35.4 percent), while Hong Kong had 279,100 (a growth rate of 29 percent). The United States saw an increase in visitor numbers as well with a total of251200 tourists visiting Japan during this period.
Other notable countries include the Philippines with55 ,500visitors (up7 .3percent)and Thailand with53 ,500visitors(up7 .8percent).
As these figures indicate continued growth in tourism for Japan despite ongoing challenges related to COVID-19 and other factors impacting travel worldwide.