Korea Ranks First, Followed by China, Taiwan, and the United States
Korean Tourists Spend an Average of 1.13 Million KRW per Person in Japan in Q1
The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan surged in the first quarter of this year, surpassing 10 million. Koreans ranked first with 2.5 million visitors.
The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) announced on the 16th that the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan from January to March this year reached 10,537,300, breaking the 10 million mark in the shortest period ever. Among them, Koreans were the largest group with 2,506,100 visitors, followed by Chinese (2.36 million), Taiwanese (1.62 million), and Americans (710,000).
Looking at March alone, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan was 3,497,000, a 13.5% increase compared to the same month last year. By country/region of origin, Koreans led with 691,000 visitors, up 4.3%. They were followed by Chinese (661,000), Taiwanese (522,000), and Americans (342,000).
The number of Korean visitors was surpassed by Chinese visitors in January due to the influence of the Lunar New Year holiday, but Koreans have ranked first for two consecutive months since February. JNTO stated, "Despite the weak Korean won, the increase in flight services contributed to the record-high number of Korean visitors as of March."
The amount spent by foreign tourists in Japan during the first quarter is estimated at 2.272 trillion yen (approximately 22.7 trillion KRW), a 28.4% increase compared to the same period last year. This is the highest amount ever recorded for the first quarter.
By country/region of origin, Chinese tourists spent the most in the first quarter with 544.3 billion yen (approximately 5.4 trillion KRW), followed by Taiwanese with 316.8 billion yen (approximately 3.1 trillion KRW), Koreans with 282.4 billion yen (approximately 2.8 trillion KRW), and Americans with 218.8 billion yen (approximately 2.1 trillion KRW).
The per capita spending of Koreans visiting Japan was 113,000 yen (approximately 1.13 million KRW), showing a 9.4% increase compared to the same period last year.
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