Foreign Visitors to Japan Hit Record High for March

Tokyo, April 15 (Jiji Press)–The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in March rose 3.5 pct from a year earlier to 3,618,900, marking a record high for the month, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. Tourist arrivals from South Korea, Taiwan, the United States and other economies increased as cherry blossoms began to bloom. Meanwhile, the number of visitors from eight Middle Eastern countries, including Israel and the Gulf states, plunged 30.6 pct to 16,700, reflecting suspensions or reductions in flights amid the worsening regional situation. The number of Chinese visitors plummeted 55.9 pct to 291,600, marking the fourth consecutive month of year-on-year decline due to the Chinese government’s advisory against travel to Japan. The cumulative number of visitors to Japan in the first three months of this year stood at 10,683,500, up 1.4 pct, exceeding the 10 million threshold in three months, as it did last year. Spending by foreign visitors in the three-month period rose 2.5 pct to 2,337.8 billion yen, with per-visitor spending coming to 221,363 yen, the Japan Tourism Agency said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]