In 2020, the number of foreign visitors to Japan fell by 87,1%, the most significant decline since 1964, when comparable data became available, the Japanese travel agency said.
Restrictions and measures taken to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) have affected the global tourism industry.
The total number of foreign visitors, including tourists and businessmen, has dropped to 4,12 million in 2020, from 31,90 million in 2019. It is the lowest level since 1998.
Initially, the Japanese government estimated that 40 million foreign tourists would visit Japan in 2020, but the effects of the pandemic, the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics and other sporting events made it impossible to meet this target. In December, the number of foreign visitors fell by 97,7%, the 15th month of decline.
And the number of Japanese who traveled abroad decreased in 2020 by 84,2%, to 3,17 million, the lowest level since the publication of these data. In recent years, Japan's economy has become increasingly dependent on foreign tourists, launching more aggressive campaigns abroad to promote the tourism industry.