According to Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the number of foreign visitors to Japan in July 2014 (preliminary figure) was 1.27 million, an increase of 26.6% compared with the same month last year, and it was also the highest monthly figure to date. The highest in the past was 1.23 million in April 2014 and July’s figure exceeded it by 0.04 million. The total number of the foreign visitors from January to July 2014 was 7.53 million, an increase of 26.4% compared with the same period last year, and its record setting growth continued from the previous month. (See the chart below.)
Looking at the visitors by individual countries and areas, the number of visitors from China, with number of their cruise ships called at Japanese ports, topped the visitors from Taiwan and Korea with 0.28 million. Visitors from Korea, which kept decreasing since February 2014, increased to 0.26 million, an increase of 2.7% compared with the same month last year. Among the Southeast Asian countries, visitors from Thailand and Malaysia maintained the steady growth since the visa waiver began last year, and visitors from Indonesia doubled compared with last year. Finally, visitors from Europe and Australia increased by double-digit compared with last year. Those figures indicate the active situations in various markets.
JNTO remarked that promotions to attract foreign tourists to Japan during the summer season, increase in the available flight seats because of increased flights and new chartered flights and large cruise ships called at Japanese ports attributed in this strong growth.
(Travel Voice Editorial Department)
