Foreign visitors to Japan exceeded 25 mn in 2023

The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan totaled 25.06 million in 2023, official data revealed on Wednesday. The figure, representing 78.6 per cent of the 2019 level before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, was compared to 3.83 million in 2022, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization, citing relaxed border restrictions and a weaker yen. In December 2023 alone, the estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan came in at 2.73 million, topping the pre-pandemic level in December 2019 by reaching a fresh peak for the month, Xinhua news agency quoted the Organization as said. The month witnessed record numbers of travelers from 12 of the 23 markets, including South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and the US, among others, it said. Meanwhile, the number of Japanese who went overseas during the year totaled 9.62 million, 47.9 per cent of the 2019 level. @@@