TOKYO, Jan 14 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- The number of foreign visitors to Japan topped 36 million in 2024 at a new all-time high, while their spending surpassed 8 trillion yen (US$50.8 billion) for the first time on record, Kyodo news agency reported government data showed Wednesday.
Foreign tourists spent a total of 8.14 trillion yen on accommodation, shopping and other expenses in 2024, surpassing the previous record of 5.31 trillion yen set in 2023, preliminary figures from the Japan Tourism Agency showed.
A record 36.87 million foreign tourists visited Japan in 2024, with the surge driven by a weak yen and the resumption of international airline routes to Japan following the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation.
According to the report, cumulative figures from January to November last year had already surpassed the previous full-year high of 31.88 million set in 2019, before the pandemic.
The government aims to attract 60 million visitors a year and increase their annual spending to 15 trillion yen by 2030 but faces issues related to over-tourism and labour shortages in the hospitality sector.
Efforts are also underway to attract more high-end travellers as well as encourage visitors to venture beyond major cities by improving access to regional airports.
-- BERNAMA-KYODO
