JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization) announced that the estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in January was 1,497,300.
This is 55.7% compared to the same month in 2019. Compared to December, when demand for travel to Japan increases due to the Christmas vacations and other factors, January is usually a quiet month, especially in the European and U.S. markets. However, due to the Chinese New Year and other factors, the number of foreign visitors to Japan, especially from East Asian markets, exceeded 1 million, and the total number of visitors exceeded 100,000 from the previous month.
In air travel, although there is a trend toward increased and resumed flights, and some markets are approaching the levels seen before the spread of the new coronavirus infection, many markets are still in the process of recovery. In addition, many markets are experiencing challenges such as rising prices, rising ticket costs, and labor shortages among airline and travel agencies. In the European region, increased flight times due to flight route changes caused by the situation in Ukraine are also a concern for inbound travel.
Therefore, it is necessary to enhance “earning power” of tourist destinations and the tourism industry in a sustainable manner, and to achieve a V-shaped recovery of inbound tourism while promoting the attraction of regional visitors and expansion of consumption. Along with the resumption of individual travel and the accurate dissemination of practical information on entry procedures, etc., it is also necessary to strengthen efforts to disseminate information on sustainable tourism, etc., which will be the pillar of future tourism to Japan, and to attract MICE.
© Source travel watch