Foreign Visitor Spending in Jan.-Sept. Tops 2023 Total

Tokyo, Oct. 16 (Jiji Press)--Cumulative spending by foreign visitors to Japan in January-September 2024 reached 5,858.2 billion yen, already surpassing the 2023 total of 5,306.5 billion yen to renew the annual record, the Japan Tourism Agency said Wednesday.

The spending was driven by a surge in the number of foreign visitors amid the yen's weakness, as well as soaring accommodation and other fees.

On a quarterly basis, spending by foreign visitors rose 41.1 pct from a year earlier to 1,948 billion yen in July-September, the second highest on record, after a record high of 2,140.2 billion yen in April-June.

Spending by visitors from mainland China accounted for a quarter of the July-September total, the largest share. Spending per visitor was estimated at 223,000 yen.

In September, the estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan grew 31.5 pct from a year before to 2,872,200, a record high for the month, the Japan National Tourism Organization separately said Wednesday.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]