Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) reported that the number of international visitors to Japan was up 4.1% year on year to 2,578,000 in August 2018. The monthly result with 100,000 more visitors than a year earlier was record-high for August. The result for the first eight months of 2018 accordingly was up 12.6% to 21,309,000 in total, reaching the fastest 20 million ever.
The top market in August 2018 was China with 819,9000 visitors (+4.9%), followed by South Korea with 620,900 (-4.3%), Taiwan with 377,800 (+4.4%), and Hong Kong with 196,800 visitors (+0.7%). Visitors from the above four markets accounted for about 80% of the total. Visitors from 16 major markets were record-high for August, and those from Spain and Italy record-high on a single month basis.
JNTO said that the inbound travel market in August was continuously boosted by extension of the air network including charter flights and its effective promotional campaigns. JNTO is trying to deliver correct local information in Kansai area after the Typhoon 21st and in Hokkaido after the big earthquake in September.
