Japan received 3.1 million foreign visitors in August, down 9.6% from the same month last year, mainly due to a sharp plunge of Chinese visitors, according to estimates from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) released Wednesday. Arrivals from China, one of Japan’s largest tourism markets, fell by 59.0% to 418,000. JNTO said the decline reflected cuts to air services following a Chinese government advisory urging people to avoid travel to Japan, despite the high number of visitors from other countries during the summer school holiday period.
Some markets weakened because August is typically a quieter period for Japan-bound travel, with flight cancellations due to tropical storms, and reduced air services also weighing on arrivals, the organization said. Visitors from Australia fell 7.4% year on year, Thailand fell 9.3%, Germany declined 5.5% and the Philippines dropped 11.6%. The sharp drop in Chinese visitors contrasted with continued growth from several other major markets.
South Korean arrivals jumped 28.7% to 850,500, the highest figure on record for August, helped by school holidays, increased airline capacity and sustained demand for travel to Japan, the organization said. Visitors from Taiwan rose 7.3% to 666,000, while those from Hong Kong climbed 9.4% to 247,300, with both markets also posting August records. The JNTO said 14 countries and regions recorded their highest-ever August visitor numbers, including Malaysia, India, the United States, Mexico, France and several European markets.
Italy and Spain posted their highest monthly visitor totals on record for any month. Arrivals from Italy rose 15.1% to 47,300, while Spain increased 14.1% to 36,500. U.S. visitors edged up 1.5% to 197,400, while arrivals from Mexico surged 37% to 18,600.
The JNTO said the yen remained weak against many currencies through August, supporting demand from overseas. However, longer flight times from Europe caused by route changes linked to the war in Ukraine continue to act as a potential deterrent. Separately, 1.59 million Japanese people traveled overseas in August, down 3.6% from a year earlier.
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