Spending by visitors to Japan exceeded 4 trillion yen in 2017

January 17, 2018

Tokyo- Spending by visitors from abroad during their stays in Japan exceeded 4 trillion yen for the first time on record in 2017, the Japan National Tourism Organization said in a preliminary report on Tuesday.

The amount of spending rose 17.8 percent from the previous year to 4,416.1 billion yen, representing the fifth straight year of record results.

The expansion in consumption was backed by growth in the number of visitors to Japan, mainly from China, Taiwan and South Korea, amid increased flights by budget airlines.

The number of overall visitors to Japan climbed 19.3 percent to 28,690,900 in 2017, hitting a record high for the fifth consecutive year, the JNTO said in an estimate.

Spending on shopping accounted for the largest share of 37.1 percent, or 1,639.8 billion yen. Accommodation fees came second, at 28.2 percent, and wining and dining expenses third, at 20.1 percent.

Spending per visitor declined 1.3 percent to 153,921 yen, down for two years in a row, after hitting a peak in 2015 thanks to "bakugai" explosive buying, mainly by Chinese visitors.

The government aims to increase the number of visitors to 40 million and consumption by them to 8 trillion yen by 2020.

Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Akihiko Tamura said the number of visitors is increasing steadily, but that further efforts are required to achieve the consumption target.

To expand consumption by foreign visitors, Japan needs to invite more from the United States, Europe and Australia, Tamura said. Visitors from such places stay relatively longer in Japan than others.

The government will go forward to achieve the goals and help Japan become a leading tourism country, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference.

The tourism ministry separately said in a preliminary report that the number of foreigners who visited Japan by cruise ships in 2017 climbed 27.2 percent from the previous year to 2,533,000, posting a record high for the fourth consecutive year. Jiji Press