Thursday, February 16, 2023
According to official data released on Wednesday, the estimated number of international visitors to Japan rose by around 130,000 from the previous month to about 1.5 million, largely as a result of the Lunar New Year vacation and the relaxation of coronavirus regulations in many countries.
Although roughly a million visitors came from East Asia, including South Korea and Taiwan, the overall number was still 44.3% lower than it had been in January 2019, before the outbreak.
Around 31,200 Chinese visitors made up the total, a 95.9% decrease from the same period in 2019, as the Japanese government tightened border regulations for those coming from China.
According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, visitors from countries celebrating the week-long Lunar New Year holiday period from January 21 to 27 helped to boost January’s number of 1,497,300 visitors. Demand from Western countries remained low after the December holidays.
Data from the JNTO show that South Korean visitors made up the highest share with 565,200, followed by Taiwanese visitors with 259,300 visits and Hong Kong visitors with 151,900 tourists. With 88,100 tourists, the United States occupied fourth place. China came in at number eight, with a rise in Chinese tourists largely regarded as the key to a full recovery of Japan’s inbound tourism sector.
This month, Japan intends to relax its coronavirus restrictions for visitors from China. At the moment, all visitors to Japan who arrive directly from the Chinese mainland need to undergo test. According to the source, the government intends to keep requiring arrivals from China to show proof of a negative coronavirus test within 72 hours before departure.
Tags: japan, lunar new year, Tourism
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