Hongkongers flock to Japan in record numbers as yen depreciates
A record number of Hongkongers travelled to Japan in the first nine months of this year to take advantage of the depreciating yen, and tourism officials there don’t expect the growth momentum to lose steam any time soon.
Japan lured a total of 1.1 million visitors from Hong Kong up to September, a 68.5 per cent leap from the same period last year, according to data released by the Japan National Tourism Organisation.
Riding on a softening yen, more international airline routes and a relaxed visa policy, Japan’s tourism sector has shrugged off a downturn prompted by the 2011 tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster. There has been a recent influx of tourists from neighbouring countries visiting Japan for sightseeing and snapping up goods from rice cookers to high-tech toilet seats.
Yamada projected the total number of foreign visitors to Japan this year to top around 14 million, with an anticipated five million from the mainland, followed by South Korea and Taiwan.
“A problem facing Japan now is a shortage of hotels to accommodate the increasing number of visitors,” Yamada said. “We have been coping with this issue in cooperation with private enterprises.”
The rest of the year, which includes the Christmas holiday, may take the total number of Hong Kong visitors to Japan this year to a new high of 1.4 to 1.5 million, Yamada said.
The most popular destinations are Tokyo and Osaka, while northern regions such as Hokkaido have seen a pick-up in tourist numbers.
A record-breaking 13 million people visited Japan last year, bolstered by an 83 per cent year-on-year spike in the number of mainland tourists. Nearly 2.4 million Chinese travelled across the East China Sea last year - a figure which is projected to balloon 30 per cent this year.
Tokyo has over recent years stepped up its efforts to attract tourists, as officials pledged to further loosen visa requirements for foreign visitors and optimise tourist facilities, including language assistance services.
