Society

Foreign visitors to Japan plummet in 2020

Jan 21 (NHK) - The coronavirus is having a crushing effect on Japan's tourism industry. The number of foreign visitors in 2020 fell nearly 90 percent from the previous year.

Officials at the Japan National Tourism Organization estimate the country received about 4.11 million visitors last year. That's down 87 percent year-on-year.

The biggest group was travelers from mainland China, followed by Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong.

By month, visitors in January numbered about 2.66 million, but plunged to 1,663 in May due to the spread of the virus.

The figures had begun showing a recovery, but industry watchers believe the trend is unlikely to continue.

The government tightened entry restrictions as it declared a second state of emergency earlier this month. Officials have suspended an earlier measure that admitted businesspeople from 10 countries and Taiwan. Foreign entrants are now only allowed entry for such purposes as attending funerals.

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