According to Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the number of international visitors to Japan in July 2013 (estimated number) was 1,003,000, an increase of 18.4% compared with the same month last year. The figure for a single month exceeding 1 million was the record high. This figure exceeded 8709,000 of the number of international visitors in July 2010, which was the past record, by 124,000, and it also exceed the figure from April 2013, which was the record high for a single month, by 80,000.
Looking at those visitors by individual countries, mitigation in visa policies in Southeast Asian countries served as positive effects. For example, short-stay visa waiver for Thailand and Malaysia yielded in visitor increase of 84.7% and 25.2% compared with the same month last year. JNTO lists the following factors including the mitigation in visa policies as the factors for the increase for the visitors: continued effort to promote Japan-bound travel matching the travel needs for the summer season, Japan-bound travel considered comparatively cheap due to lower rate of the yen and increased supply of airline seats. JNTO also plans to strengthen promotion in order to accomplish 10,000,000 international visitors to Japan in 2013.
