TOKYO, Japan, Japan witnessed a post-pandemic surge in visitors of almost 2 million in April, with the number of foreign visitors for business and leisure jumping to 1.95 million last month from 1.82 million in March, the Japan National Tourism Organisation reported.
Last month, China eased travel restrictions that had hindered a lucrative flow of visitors during the pandemic. A record 9.5 million Chinese visitors arrived in China on Monday.
In 2019, Japan ranked one-third of all visitors.
A complete recovery is likely to take time due to a lingering shortage of flights.
We foresee a continuous increase in the number of international flights from China, said Asami Chung, general manager of travel management company FCM Japan.
Traveller numbers have risen consistently since Japan resumed visa-free travel in October. The yen has weakened precipitously against the euro and US dollar, making Japan's trips to Japan's shores the least expensive they have ever been.
Chung notes that the weak yen is positively affecting travel to Japan, despite the high cost, but that Tokyo still has the most expensive hotel rates in Asia.