The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)’s report finds that travelers from all of four Southeast Asia nations to Japan increased by 20 to 30% year on year in a calendar year of 2015: 796,700 from Thailand (+21.1%), 308,800 from Singapore (+35.5%), 305,500 from Malaysia (+22.4%) and 205,100 from Indonesia (+29.2%).
Travelers from Thailand exceeded 100,000 a month in April 2015 for the first time. The annual total in 2015 was about 6.3 times more than 125,000 in 2006, and the growth rate was larger than that in the China market. Travelers from Indonesia annually exceeded 200,000 for the first time, and those from Malaysia and Singapore 300,000 for the first time.
The table below shows yearly changes of travelers from Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia in the last decade:
In December 2015 only, travelers from all of the above nations broke the previous records for December: 93,500 from Thailand (+22.6%), 67,000 from Singapore (+40.1%), 50,300 from Malaysia (+28%) and 29,300 from Indonesia (+23.5%). Travelers from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia were record-high on a single month basis.
The table below shows monthly changes of travelers from Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia in 2015:
In the Thai market, several negative factors, such as suspension of the LCC services or the terrorist bombing attack in Bangkok, did not discourage travelers to visit Japan. In Singapore, lower fuel surcharges, airlines’ promotional campaigns and promotions for female travelers in the peak season particularly boosted the market.
In Malaysia, extension of the air network and a variety of promotional campaigns contributed to an increase in travelers to Japan. In Indonesia, a tourism symposium for Indonesia, hosted by JNTO, was one of the factors for a stable demand through 2015, despite economic downturn.
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