Visitors to Japan Down 5.5 Pct in April

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in April fell 5.5 pct from a year before to 3,692,200, down for the first time in three months, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. Visitors from eight Middle East nations, including Israel and Persian Gulf states, dropped 21.4 pct to 22,300, reflecting flight cancellations and reductions amid prolonged tensions in the region. Chinese visitors decreased 56.8 pct to 330,700, down for the fifth straight month. The number of visitors from many European countries dropped because this year’s Easter holiday period came in early April and some people opted to visit Japan in late March, according to the JNTO. Visitors from Britain, Germany and Italy fell 13.8 pct, 15.2 pct and 34.2 pct, respectively. Meanwhile, France set a record high for a single month, with some 59,200 people, up 3.7 pct, traveling to Japan in the latest reporting month. Visitors from South Korea totaled 878,600, those from Taiwan 643,500 and those from Vietnam 76,000, with all figures hitting the highest levels for April. By country or region, South Korea topped the list, followed by Taiwan and China. The United States ranked fourth, at 330,000, up 0.8 pct. At a press conference Wednesday, Japan Tourism Agency chief Shigeki Murata emphasized that the government will work on implementing “strategic promotions to attract visitors from more countries and regions,” aiming to achieve the 2030 target of 60 million inbound visitors, even amid changes in external circumstances such as rising airfares. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]