Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism: 31.88 million foreign tourists visited Japan in 2019, nearly one-third of them came from mainland China

According to data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan in 2019 increased by 2.2% from 2018 to 31.88 million. Although it has maintained growth for eight consecutive years, the growth rate has dropped to the lowest level since 2012.

The sharp decline in South Korean tourists and the impact of natural disasters in Japan have also made it uncertain whether the Japanese government's goal of attracting 40 million tourists by 2020 can be achieved.

At a press conference after the cabinet meeting on the 10th, Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Kazuyoshi Akaba announced the above data. Although the number of tourists visiting Japan increased slightly in 2019, it has set a new record for seven consecutive years. The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan exceeded 10 million in 2013, and tripled in the following six years, but the growth rate is currently slowing down.

Since the summer of 2019, the number of Koreans visiting Japan has dropped significantly due to the boycott of Korean consumers caused by Japan's trade restrictions on South Korea. In July, the number dropped by 7.6% year-on-year, and it has been in negative growth since then, with a sharp drop of 50% to 60% from August to November. Koreans once accounted for about a quarter of the total number of foreign tourists visiting Japan, and the decrease in Korean tourists has led to a slowdown in the overall growth momentum of tourists.

However, the number of tourists visiting Japan from countries and regions other than South Korea has maintained a strong growth momentum. In the first 11 months of last year, the number of tourists from mainland China reached 8.88 million, a record high, an increase of 14% year-on-year, exceeding the whole of 2018 (8.38 million). Tourists from Southeast Asia and Europe and the United States are also strong.