Published on : Thursday, June 7, 2018
The annual white paper on tourism shows almost 29 million people visited Japan in 2017, marking a record high for the fifth straight year. However, they spent a total of 40 billion dollars.
But spending per person fell to 1,400 dollars. That’s down more than 180 dollars from the peak in 2015.
The report also says consumption by foreign visitors in Japan accounts for just 0.6 percent of gross domestic product. The spending-to-GDP ratio is 12 percent in Thailand, nearly 5 percent in Spain and 2.6 percent in Australia.
The government hopes to raise the number of foreign visitors to 40 million by 2020 and to nearly double their total spending.
Government officials say they’ve got a plan to reverse the trend. They’re going to encourage tourism operators to create services that focus on experiences such as nighttime entertainment.
Tags: Tourism in Japan