Fewer Tourists Travel to Japan Due to Earthquake.

Japan

Japan registered a sharp decline in international arrivals in 2011 due to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, as well as the ensuing nuclear crisis.

According to the latest figures from Japan National Tourism Organisation, international arrivals fell from 8.6 million in 2010, to 6.2 million in 2011, a dip of 27.8 per cent.

9 of the top 10 source markets to Japan recoded large falls in numbers in 2011 compared to 2007, being Korea, Taiwan, USA, Hong Kong, Australia, UK, Thailand, Canada and Singapore. The only country to show a small increase in numbers travelling to Japan was China.

Japan

Singapore contributed 111,300 visitors to Japan in 2011, a 38.5-per cent drop from 2010’s 180,000. For the month of December, usually the peak period for the Singapore market, there was a 37.8 per cent decline, with 22,900 arrivals compared to 36,827 in 2010.

Meanwhile, Japan’s top North Asia market, South Korea, registered a 32-per cent drop in 2011 over the previous year, while strong recovery was evident in Hong Kong and China during fourth quarter 2011.