TOKYO (AP) — Japan welcomed a record number of cases in December, official data showed Wednesday (Jan. 17), ending a year of immediate recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The number of foreign travelers for business and leisure rose to 2. 73 million last month from 2. 44 million in November, according to data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
This is the number of tourists recorded during the month of December and about 8 percent more than the pre-pandemic level seen in 2019.
For the 2023 total, just over 25 million arrived in Japan, the firm said.
Tourism in Japan has still been paralyzed during more than two years of the pandemic, and the country implemented some of the strictest border controls in the world. But arrivals temporarily picked up after the government resumed visa-free travel for many countries in October 2022. .
Arrivals have topped two million each month since June last year, driven by a weakening yen that makes Japan less expensive than other destinations.
Visitors this year are likely to break 2019’s record of 31.9 million, but tourist spending last year may have already reached the government’s goal of five trillion yen (S$45.46 billion), said Teppei Kawanishi, general manager at travel industry consultancy mov Honichi Lab.
Average spending per guest is about 30% higher than before the pandemic, driven in part by regular travelers from Taiwan, Hong Kong and other parts of Asia, Kawanishi said.
“Spending on degrees is very high today,” he added.
December saw record arrivals for a single month of people from Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia, JNTO said.
This is helping to offset the slow recovery in guest numbers from mainland China, which accounted for about a third of all guests and 40% of all tourism spending in Japan in 2019. The number of Chinese travelers in December remains at 56 % minor. pandemic levels.
Inbound tourism has a key component of Japan’s economic recovery, but severe staff shortages are hampering the sector’s ability to meet demand.
“The industry can’t keep up,” said Wanping Aw, managing director of TokudAw, which specializes in personal cars in Japan. “Experienced staff are exhausted and overworked and don’t have time to exercise staff. “
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