Credit: 123rf
A RECORD 1.9 million foreign visitors arrived in Japan in July, marking a staggering 51 per cent jump from the same period in 2014.
Government data also shows that the cumulative total arrivals for the first seven months surpassed 11 million, up nearly 47 per cent from the same period a year earlier.
The positive figures indicate that Japan is on course to meet the target of 20 million arrivals in 2020, when Tokyo will host the Olympic and Paralympic games.
“We feel we have done pretty well in the first half of the year,” Susan Ong, deputy director of the Japan National Tourism Organisation’s office in Singapore, told TTG Asia e-Daily.
“There have been a combination of factors behind these impressive figures, including the low yen rate, which has made holidays in Japan much more affordable for people from South-east Asia, in particular,” she said.
Another major factor has been the relaxed visa regulations for tourists from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Ong said she hopes that the shift from single-entry visas to multiple-entry versions can be completed for citizens of Vietnam and the Philippines in the near future.
Inbound tourism to Japan has also been boosted by increased flights by budget airlines such as AirAsia. The Malaysia-based carrier already flies to Tokyo and Osaka and will launch direct services to Sapporo in October.
“I also think that the Japanese travel sector has become more receptive to overseas visitors, such as catering for Muslim travellers by providing prayer rooms in airports and halal meals in hotels and restaurants,” Ong said.
Operators are similarly reporting increased interest in Japan as a destination. Halley Trujillo, senior travel consultant at Inside Japan Tours, said: “We feel there are a number of reasons behind the renewed interest in Japan as a destination, with Japanese TV shows appearing more in Europe and the US, while flights are also becoming more reasonable.
“We have also felt the benefit of the weaker yen and Qantas and Jetstar increasing flights to Japan for Australian travellers,” Trujillo added.
