In 2023, the number of international tourists visiting Tokyo in Japan amounted to around 19.54 million. This was a record number, surpassing the hitherto high point from 2019 by several million visitors stays, continuing the upward trend that was observable before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why did foreign visitor numbers in Tokyo increase during the past decade?
If we look at pre-COVID-19 times, foreign visitor numbers significantly increased in the whole of Japan during the past decade. One of the reasons for this might be the Japanese government’s endeavors to promote tourism and proliferate Japanese culture, perhaps best embodied by the marketing term “Cool Japan” developed by Japan’s government. Various policies and long-term projects, such as the “Inbound Travel Promotion Project”, or the “Promotion of MICE Hosting and Attraction”, had been devised and enacted to attract international tourists and make Japan a tourism hub. The government started investing substantially in tourism more than a decade ago, as it realized the potential of tourism to invigorate the Japanese economy. The improvement of facilities and infrastructure to meet foreign expectations were accompanied by the relaxation of visa entry requirements, which resulted in heightened inbound travel.
Most international visitors to Japan come from Asian countries, with China, South Korea, and Taiwan occupying the first three places. Visitor numbers from the U.S. are the only exception to the otherwise predominant Asian traveler base, with figures surpassing the one million mark regularly.
Number of inbound tourists to Tokyo, Japan from 2014 to 2023
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Tokyo Metropolitan Government. (June 21, 2024). Number of inbound tourists to Tokyo, Japan from 2014 to 2023 (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 25, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/914251/inbound-tourist-numbers-tokyo-japan/
Tokyo Metropolitan Government. "Number of inbound tourists to Tokyo, Japan from 2014 to 2023 (in millions)." Chart. June 21, 2024. Statista. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/914251/inbound-tourist-numbers-tokyo-japan/
Tokyo Metropolitan Government. (2024). Number of inbound tourists to Tokyo, Japan from 2014 to 2023 (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/914251/inbound-tourist-numbers-tokyo-japan/
Tokyo Metropolitan Government. "Number of Inbound Tourists to Tokyo, Japan from 2014 to 2023 (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 21 Jun 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/914251/inbound-tourist-numbers-tokyo-japan/
Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Number of inbound tourists to Tokyo, Japan from 2014 to 2023 (in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/914251/inbound-tourist-numbers-tokyo-japan/ (last visited August 25, 2024)
Number of inbound tourists to Tokyo, Japan from 2014 to 2023 (in millions) [Graph], Tokyo Metropolitan Government, June 21, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/914251/inbound-tourist-numbers-tokyo-japan/