Nearly 120,400 visitors entered Japan in June after the abolishment of the country’s COVID-19 related restrictions, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
This means that the numbers are down by 18 per cent compared to May figures and 14 per cent from April, VisaGuide.World reports.
The figures reveal that despite the reopening of Japan’s borders to international tourists, the number of visitors to Japan dropped significantly in the past month.
Japan’s decision to welcome international travelers to its country began on June 10 with the government’s decision to reopen the borders.
Last month Japan doubled its daily entry limit to 20,000 and began accepting tour groups from nations and regions classified as having a low number of positive COVID-19 cases.
Figures provided by the Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) also revealed that only 252 tourists entered the country between June 10 and 30 under the new scheme. Meanwhile, as of Tuesday this week, around 9,000 visitors had pre-registered for the government’s health tracking system in the hope of entering the country this month.
In this regard, the head of JTA Koichi Wada, said that the country was in the first days of opening since the resumption of domestic tourism, adding that he expected the numbers to increase from July onwards.
“A week after the reopening of the borders, the country was at a major turning point in the revival of domestic tourism. But the surge in infections – a national daily high of 110,000 was recorded on Saturday – has dampened expectations,” Wada noted.
In addition, the group tour regulations may deter some visitors. Based on this, travel agencies that conduct tours undergo a rigorous registration process. Participants must agree to be closely monitored by tour guides throughout their stay and comply with anti-infection measures such as wearing masks and purchasing insurance.
According to JNTO data, the total number of foreign travelers entering Japan in the first half of 2022 was 507,600.
Such data shows that this is barely 3 percent of the total for the first half of 2019 before the pandemic hit. However, in 2019, the country had a record of 31.8 million arrivals.
The Singapore Tourism Board revealed that Singapore recorded 1.5 million visitors in the first half of 2022, with Indonesians and Indians accounting for a third of visits.
Besides, Singapore opened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers in April, removing measures such as pre-departure or arrival COVID tests and the need for travel insurance. The board now expects four million to six million visitors a year.
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