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, fell 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. South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam logged their highest figures for April, at 878,600, 643,500 and 76,000, respectively. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]