Both South Korea and Japan have been at odds since last year with regards to their political position over North Korea. Because of their disagreement, it has affected other industries in both countries that benefit from each other’s products and services. Tourism, in particular, also felt its impacts as seen in Japan’s latest tourist report.

On Monday, September 16, reports say that the number of South Korean tourists in Japan have dropped. Meanwhile, there is an increase in Japanese tourists in South Korea.

South Korean Tourists in Japan

Several tourist destinations in Japan felt the impact of the country’s diplomatic rift with South Korea. Tourism officials in Yanagawa, Fukuoka reported that the tourist numbers dropped by a half as compared to last year’s record. They say that they are not sure when the situation will be resolved or improved.

Companies like cruise operator Daito Enterprise supported the official report and said that they did not have any South Korean customers throughout August. No reservations from South Koreans are also in their records for this month.

Yanagawa is popular for many tourists who wish to ride a “donkobune” boat along the city’s canals. Last year, 117,000 South Korean visitors went to Yanagawa. However, in July this year, Japan strengthened its export rules on semiconductor materials. As a result, many semiconductor production plants in South Korea felt the new rules and tourists reduced their trips to the country.

Aside from Yanagawa, hot spring capital Beppu in Oita Prefecture also felt the tourist drop. An official from one of the city’s sightseeing association said that the South Korean travelers in the city dropped. Many hotels in the hot spring capital were empty during the summer.

Shibuya also felt the drop in South Korean tourists. In Shibuya, for example, the RedRock restaurant in Harajuku used to have 100 South Korean customers per day. However, it dropped to 20 since the dispute began.

Official Reports

Overall, the Japan National Tourism Organization reported that South Korean visitors have dropped by 7.6%. Many group tours were cancelled, including school trips. Japan’s leading travel agency JTB Corp supported the reports as their bookings from South Korea dropped by 70% year on year. This month, the number dropped to 80%.

The airports around the country also felt the drop of South Korean tourists. In Kansai Airport, it is estimated that 17,580 South Koreans entered from August 9 to 18. The Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau said the number is down by 59% year on year.

Narita Airport also had a drop in tourist records from South Korea. The Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau said that 12,260 South Korean visitors entered the country for a short visit. It is down by 34.7% from last year’s record.

Several Korean airlines have already cancelled their flights to various Japanese airports. Korean Air, in particular, have suspended flights on seven Japanese routes starting this month.

Meanwhile, there is a spike in Japanese tourists in South Korea. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, around 274,000 Japanese tourists entered the country. It is up by 19% from last year’s record in the same year.

Japan Travel Tips

If you are planning to travel to Japan, there are a lot of travel articles available in this site. Some of the articles we have here include where to stay in Tokyo, Nagoya, Shizuoka, Kyoto and Fukuoka. 

You can also visit the Japan National Tourism Organization website for more ideas.

The post Japan Receives Less Tourists from S. Korea in 2019 appeared first on Check in Price.

Japan is one of Asia’s top destinations and many tourists have long expressed their love for the country. From rich history and culture to unique tourist locations, Japan has continuously captured the hearts of many travelers. And it seems that this love has enabled Japan tourism rate to spike up this year.

On Wednesday, July 17, the Japan Tourism Agency reported that an estimated 16.63 million tourist arrivals entered the country. The number is astonishing because it is only for the first 6 months of the year. It is also up by 4.6 percent as compared to last year’s record. The data also reveals that foreign visitors spent a total of 2.43 trillion yen from January to June 2019 while in the country.

Japan’s campaign to boost tourism

The Japanese government has been working on improving its vast infrastructure as part of its campaign to boost its tourism. They are currently targeting 40 million annual visitors to the country. They have also increased spending to 8 trillion yen for 2020 for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Relaxed visa rules, construction of new terminals for budget airlines and approval for private lodging permits are also a part of the tourism campaign.

According to the data, Chinese tourists have increased in numbers to 11.7 percent or 4,532,500 arrivals for the first half of the year. The increase comes after the removal of visa restrictions for Chinese tourists in January.

However, South Korean and Taiwanese travelers have decreased by 3.8 percent or 3,862,700 arrivals and 1.0 percent or 2,480,800 arrivals respectively.

The report added that in June 2019 alone, almost 2.88 million foreign tourists entered Japan, making a record for the year. Chinese visitors are up by 15.7 percent in the same month, followed by tourists from Spain, Singapore, South Korea, Italy, Australia, Taiwan and the United States.

How to Get to Japan

Thanks to its reputation as one of Asia’s top tourist destinations, visiting Japan is very easy. A majority of major airline companies worldwide have direct flights to Tokyo and other key Japanese cities. Koreans in Busan can also take a ferry to Japan thanks to a special route in the area.

If you are planning to travel to Japan, there are a lot of travel articles available in this site. Some of the articles we have here include where to stay in Tokyo, Nagoya, Shizuoka, Kyoto and Fukuoka.  You can also visit the Japan National Tourism Organization website for more ideas.

The post Japan Tourism Hits Record High in 2019 appeared first on Check in Price.