Japan achieved a new milestone in July by welcoming a record number of visitors for the second consecutive month, according to official data released on August 16.
The tourism surge was fueled by the devaluation of the yen and summer vacations, with a total of 3.29 million foreign visitors – the highest ever recorded in a single month, surpassing June’s previous record of 3.14 million, as reported by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
The increase was notably boosted by school holidays in East Asia and Europe. Japan has seen over 21 million visitors thus far in the year, on track to surpass the annual record of 31.9 million in 2019, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in the closure of global borders.
Despite recent yen strengthening, its plunge to a 38-year low against the dollar last month positioned Japan as an attractive and affordable destination for tourists. Among the 23 markets monitored by the JNTO, travelers from 19 regions set new records for arrivals in July.
