Chinese Visitors to Japan Down 45 Pct in Feb.

Tokyo, March 18 (Jiji Press)–The estimated number of Chinese visitors to Japan in February fell 45.2 pct from a year earlier to 396,400, marking a decline for the third consecutive month, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. Meanwhile, the overall number of foreign visitors to Japan in February is estimated to have totaled 3,466,700, rising 6.4 pct to hit a record high for the month. The total tally was driven higher by surges in tourists from South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong for the Lunar New Year holiday period, which fell in mid-February this year compared with late January last year. Japan remained a popular destination for many foreigners, with the number of visitors hitting record highs for the month of February among travelers from 18 countries and regions, including those in Europe and North America. Meanwhile, the monthly number of visitors from mainland China, which at one point exceeded 1 million, has stayed below 400,000 since last December after Beijing urged its citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on a potential Taiwan contingency. “We don’t have data showing that Chinese visitors are on a rebound,” Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Shigeki Murata said at a press conference. Recent tensions around Iran following the U.S.-Israeli attack on the country are feared to be affecting the number of tourists to Japan. The number of visitors in February from eight Middle Eastern countries including Israel and the Gulf countries fell 7.5 pct. While this is believed to reflect the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in mid-February, Murata told the press conference that “future developments should be closely monitored.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]