Japan welcomed a record 36.8 million foreign tourists last year, thanks to the weak yen. The previous record was 32 million tourists and dated from 2019. The Japanese tourism authority reported this on Wednesday.
The increase is partly due to the policy of the Japanese government, which wants to promote the country and its culture as a tourist destination. In addition, the weakness of the Japanese currency is also a factor, which has lost significant ground against the dollar in the past three years. Last summer, the yen reached its lowest level since 1986.
This makes traveling to Japan cheaper. “It’s the best time to come, it’s like the destination Japan gets a 30 percent discount,” said Naomi Mano, president of hotel company Luxurique.
The Japanese government has already set itself ambitious goals. It wants to attract 60 million foreign tourists annually by 2030. That would mean a doubling in less than ten years.