CHINESE travellers have shown a 130 per cent increase in interest in Japan, far outpacing the the average year-on-year growth in global traveller interest to the country, which stands at 15 per cent, according to the latest TripAdvisor Inbound Study for Japan.
The next biggest source markets are Singapore, Indonesia and Taiwan, with interest growing by 37 per cent, 30 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.
The study also highlighted the top-searched Japanese cities with the highest average international traveller review ratings.
Kanazawa saw the biggest increase in travel interest from international travellers at 65 per cent, followed by Ishigaki at 52 per cent and Takayama at 44 per cent.
Cherry blossom street near Kenrokuen garden in Kanazawa, Japan
Takayama also received the highest praise from international visitors across TripAdvisor’s business categories, including eatery (4.32 out of 5); accommodation (4.18 out of 5); and attraction (4.23 out of 5).
“The study not only reaffirms China’s significance as a major source of inbound tourism for Japan, but also suggests that inbound travel is being driven by the country’s diverse tourism offerings across different regions,” said Aaron Hung, director of partnerships, APAC, TripAdvisor.
“The surging interest in Kanazawa and Ishigaki is evidence that international travellers are keen to discover more of Japan.”
In 2015, 19.73 million people visited Japan, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization, marking a 47 per cent increase from 2014. Chinese travellers accounted for one-fourth of total arrivals to the country.
