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| An international terminal was deserted at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Nov. 30. (File photo by=KYODO) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] TOKYO: Japanese government data showed Wednesday that the number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2021 dropped to 245,900, the lowest since 1964 when comparable data became available, as the country enforced tighter border controls amid the coronavirus pandemic, Kyodo reported.
The figure plunged 94.0 percent from 2020, the sharpest fall on record, the Japan Tourism Agency said. Compared with the pre-pandemic level in 2019, it dropped 99.2 percent. Monthly arrivals were highest in July at 51,055 due to visitors related to the Tokyo Olympics, held from July 23 to Aug. 8. As the Paralympic Games were held from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5, a total of 25,916 travelers entered the country in August. The events were held without spectators to prevent coronavirus infections. Since then, the figure has been on a downward trend, falling to 12,100 in December, down 79.4 percent from a year earlier.
Meanwhile, the government has maintained its target of attracting 60 million visitors from abroad in 2030. But Koichi Wada, who heads the agency, told a press conference that he could not predict at the moment whether it is an attainable goal. Quasi-emergency measures include allowing governors to ask restaurants and bars to close early and stop or limit the serving of alcohol. The move is likely to squeeze domestic tourism further, battered by the pandemic.
