The number of foreign tourists to Japan in September dropped by 44.5% from China, but Taiwan bucked the trend and grew by 13%

The Japan Government Tourism Bureau released the latest data on the 21st. The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan in September was approximately 3.1 million, a decrease of 5% from the same period last year. It has been declining for two consecutive months. Among them, Chinese tourists were affected by the deterioration of Japan-China relations and dropped significantly by 44.5%. However, tourists from Taiwan and South Korea were still keen to travel to Japan, with increases of 13% and 25.6% respectively.

The Sankei Shimbun reported that statistics from the Tourism Bureau showed that foreign tourists visiting Japan in September decreased by 5% compared with the same period last year, but the performance of each country varied significantly. Visitors from South Korea increased by 25.6%, and visitors from Taiwan also increased by 13%. Among the 23 countries and regions counted, the number of visitors to Japan in September from 7 markets hit a record high for the same period last year, showing that Japan’s tourism popularity remains unabated.

However, the Chinese market is not so enthusiastic. Affected by the deterioration of Japan-China relations, the Chinese government began calling on people to avoid traveling to Japan last year, resulting in a continued decrease in Chinese tourists to Japan. In September this year, the number dropped by 44.5% compared to the same period last year. However, it is worth noting that the decrease in September was the smallest since the relevant effects began to emerge in December last year.

In addition to the decrease in Chinese tourists, tensions in the Middle East have also affected Japanese tourism. As international oil prices rise, air tickets become more expensive, and some flights are canceled due to typhoons, which has affected the number of tourists visiting Japan in September.

Norio Kimura, director of the Japan Tourism Agency, said at a press conference that last year the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday fell in October, but this year it is in September. Considering that the holiday timing is different, it cannot yet be concluded that the number of tourists visiting Japan has begun to rebound. Next, in addition to continuing to observe the trends of Chinese tourists, we will also actively attract tourists from other countries and regions.

The cumulative number of tourists visiting Japan in the first nine months of this year was approximately 30.73 million, 2.9% lower than the same period last year. Although it was slightly less than last year, it still exceeded the 30 million mark before the end of September for the second consecutive year.

Although the number of tourists visiting Japan has decreased for two consecutive months, foreign tourists’ spending power remains strong. According to statistics from the Japan Tourism Agency, from January to September this year, foreign tourists’ tourism spending in Japan reached 757.4 billion yen (approximately NT$1.463 billion), setting a new high for the same period in previous years.