The number of foreign visitors to Japan between January and October has topped 20 million.
That’s already higher than the annual total for 2015, which was a record high.
Officials at Japan National Tourism Organization say the 10-month total is estimated at over 20.1 million. That’s up 23.3 percent from the same period last year. And it beat last year’s total that stood at over 19.7 million.
They say the figure for October was also the highest ever for the month. It stood at more than 2.1 million, up 16.8 percent from a year ago.
The officials say more cruise ships made port calls in Japan during China’s week-long National Day holiday.
An increased number of flights linking Japan with China and South Korea is also cited as a factor.
The government aims to draw 40 million foreign travelers to Japan in 2020, the year when Tokyo hosts the Olympics and Paralympics. Officials plan to improve infrastructure such as airports and seaports. They also want to better promote regional tourist attractions.
Source and image: NHK
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