Japan could see a record 35 million foreign visitors this year, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday, with their spending in the country expected to grow to an all-time high of about 8 trillion yen ($50 billion) due to a weak yen.
With around 17.78 million people having likely visited Japan from January to June, the highest for the six-month period, Kishida pledged to take steps to deal with “overtourism,” which has triggered traffic jams, pollution, hindrances to residents and other problems brought about by the influx of travelers.
The annual total of people visiting Japan from overseas in 2024 is projected to exceed the previous record of 31.88 million registered in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic, with the government aiming to attract 60 million foreign visitors annually by 2030.
“We will strongly push ahead with expanding inbound tourism and developing sustainable travel areas,” Kishida said during a meeting with relevant Cabinet ministers.
From April to June, foreign visitors spent a quarterly record of about 2.1 trillion yen on accommodation and shopping, boosted by the yen’s depreciation.
Japan saw around 3.14 million foreign visitors in June, the highest number for a single month and surpassing 3 million for the fourth straight month.
To attract foreign visitors to rural areas from popular city destinations, the government will consider setting up a financial support program to expand flights to regional airports.
Overtourism has affected the lives of residents and the environment through traffic congestion and visitors not following local rules. To help generate measures to deal with such issues, 20 regions across the country have been selected as pioneering models for raising awareness of how tourists are expected to behave.
The government, meanwhile, will add six areas, while planning to compile guidelines to address overtourism by the end of this year.
BY: The Times Union / KYODO
