According to a JNTO announcement, the number of foreign visitors to Japan in June 2024 was 3,135,600, marking a 51.2% increase from the same month last year and an 8.9% increase compared to June 2019. This figure exceeds the 2,880,041 visitors in June 2019 by more than 250,000. Additionally, the cumulative number of foreign visitors in the first half of the year reached 17,777,200, surpassing the previous record high of the first half of 2019 by over one million.
(Source: JNTO)
In June 2024, the number of foreign visitors increased by over one million compared to June 2023. Compared to June 2019, when the number of foreign visitors was 2,880,041, this June saw an 8.9% increase with 3,135,600 visitors. Moreover, compared to the previous month, May 2024, which had 3,040,100 visitors, there was an increase of about 3.14%. These results indicate that Japan’s tourism industry is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, with a steady increase in the number of foreign visitors. This upward trend may reflect the success of tourism policies and the recovery of international travel demand.
(Based on JNTO data)
On the other hand, the number of Japanese outbound travelers in June 2024 was 930,200. This is a 32.3% increase compared to last June and about a 1.24% increase compared to May 2024, but a 38.8% decrease compared to June 2019. Although Japanese overseas travel is recovering compared to last year, it has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels. With 39,460,000 domestic travelers in May 2024, it can be inferred that while domestic travel demand among Japanese people is high, demand for overseas travel has not yet fully recovered.
(Based on JNTO data)
The number of Chinese visitors to Japan has significantly increased compared to last year. While the number of visitors in June last year was 208,573, this June it was 660,900, marking an increase of about 450,000. The growth rate is 216.9%. However, compared to the pre-pandemic level of June 2019, which saw 880,651 visitors, there is a 25% decrease. It will take some more time to return to pre-pandemic levels. However, compared to the previous month, May 2024, which had 545,400 Chinese visitors, there was an increase of about 21.2%, indicating a steady recovery trend.
Looking at other countries, the countries with the most foreign visitors to Japan this month were, as in the previous month, South Korea, China, Taiwan, the United States, and Hong Kong. The number of foreign visitors from these countries will also be compared with the same month last year, June 2019, and May 2024.
South Korea ranked first with 703,300 visitors to Japan in June 2024. This represents a 29% increase compared to June last year and a 14.9% increase compared to June 2019. The number of visitors in May 2024 was 738,800, a 4.8% decrease compared to this month. Although the number of visitors from South Korea decreased slightly compared to the previous month, it recorded the highest number of visitors in June.
China ranked second, as mentioned above. The number of visitors from Taiwan, which ranked third, increased by 47.7% compared to last year and by 24.6% compared to June 2019. It also recorded a growth rate of 23.3% compared to the previous month. This indicates that the number of visitors from Taiwan is steadily increasing, likely due to factors such as school holidays and public holidays. Notably, the number of visitors from Taiwan in a single month reached a record high.
The United States ranked fourth, with 296,400 visitors in June 2024, a 30.7% increase from 226,806 visitors in June last year and a 69% increase from 175,491 visitors in June 2019. There was also a 23.8% increase compared to the previous month. The number of visitors from the United States has been steadily increasing, with a stable number of visitors coming to Japan. This trend is likely influenced by factors such as school holidays and an increase in direct flights. Like Taiwan, the number of visitors from the United States reached a record high for a single month.
Finally, the number of visitors from Hong Kong, ranked fifth, increased due to school holidays and public holidays. In June 2024, the number of visitors was 250,600, a 34.5% increase compared to the same month last year, a 19.9% increase compared to June 2019, and a 15.2% increase compared to the previous month. The number of visitors from Hong Kong has increased in all periods.
The number of foreign visitors to Japan in June 2024 significantly increased compared to June last year, June 2019, and even May this year. Although the growth rate from May to June 2024 is a slight increase, the number of visitors increased by more than one million compared to the previous year, indicating a stable demand for inbound tourism. Notably, the growth rate of inbound visitors from China was 216.9%, and most other countries also showed positive growth compared to the previous year. Additionally, Asian countries continued to dominate the ranking of visitors, suggesting that focusing on inbound strategies for Asian countries could further increase the number of foreign visitors to Japan in the future.