In recent times, the government of Japan noticed that the number of tourists who are visiting the country has increased significantly. The government on November 20, 2013 said that the number of foreign visitors in Japan has already surpassed an earlier full-year record.
There are several reasons behind this increase, such as a weak yen, looser visa rules, as well as diminishing worries regarding the Fukushima disaster. Until October 2013, more than 8.66 million people have traveled to Japan and this number is already higher than the earlier record of 8.61 million in total in 2010.
The latest figures were revealed by the Japan National Tourism Organization, which also said that a sharp decline in the Japanese yen helped in increasing the purchasing power of foreign visitors in the country. Moreover, the fear of tsunami which occurred on March 11, 2011 also faded with time. After the disaster, the number of visitors was reduced dramatically due to fear of new catastrophes.
The agency went on to say that visa rules have been loosened for travelers from Southeast Asian nations, which also helped in increasing the year-to-date figures. Japan noticed a 74% jump in the arrivals from China in October 2013, when compared to 2012. Travel between the two Asian nations witnessed a major hit in 2012, when a territorial row between the countries resulted in riots.
Photo Credits: Jing Daily
