Drop in Chinese visitors drives decline in Japan’s inbound tourism in August

In August, Japan welcomed 3.1 million foreign visitors, a 9.6% decrease compared to the same month last year, primarily driven by a significant drop in Chinese tourists, as per estimates from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). Chinese arrivals plummeted by 59.0% to 418,000, marking the sharpest decline among major markets.

The organization attributed this decline to reduced air services following a Chinese government advisory against travel to Japan, despite the presence of visitors from other nations during the summer school holiday season. Other countries experienced varying trends, with Australia, Thailand, Germany, and the Philippines reporting declines of 7.4%, 9.3%, 5.5%, and 11.6% respectively.

Conversely, South Korea saw a surge of 28.7% to 850,500 visitors, its highest August tally, driven by school holidays, increased airline capacity, and sustained demand. Taiwan recorded a 7.3% rise to 666,000 visitors, while Hong Kong saw a 9.4% increase to 247,300. Notably, 14 countries and regions set new August visitor records, including Malaysia, India, the U.S., Mexico, France, and several European nations.

Italy and Spain also set their highest monthly visitor totals on record for any month, with Italy up 15.1% to 47,300 and Spain up 14.1% to 36,500. U.S. visitors increased by 1.5% to 197,400, and Mexican arrivals surged by 37% to 18,600. The JNTO noted that the yen's weakness against many currencies supported overseas demand. However, longer flight times from Europe due to route changes related to the Ukraine conflict continue to pose a potential deterrent.

Meanwhile, 1.59 million Japanese citizens traveled abroad in August, marking a 3.6% decline from the previous year.