Chinese flock to Japan

TOKYO  China leads the markets for inbound travel to Japan with an interest rate growing by 130%, according to the latest research from TripAdvisor.

TripAdvisor released its latest study, Friday, showing the fastest growing inbound markets for Japan.

China was tops in actual travel and also in interest that has grown by 130% since 2015.

A record number of 19.73 million people visited Japan in 2015, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation, marking a 47% increase from 2014.

Chinese travellers accounted for a quarter of the total inbound arrivals to the country.

The study examined markets showing the greatest year-on-year increase in travel interest to Japan and confirmed China’s increasing importance as an inbound source of travellers to Japan, far outpacing growth from other inbound markets in both actual trips and interest.

On average, there has been a 15% year-on-year growth in global traveller interest to Japan.

The study also highlights Japanese cities with the greatest increase in interest from international travellers; top searched Japanese cities with the highest average international traveller review rating for accommodation, attractions and restaurants; as well as the top searched attractions types for these inbound travellers.

Apart from China, other notable markets from within Asia-Pacific with a growing interest in travel to Japan included Singapore, Indonesia and Taiwan.

Japan also continues to be a much desired tourist destination for long-haul travellers from North America and Europe.

Of all Japanese cities, Kanazawa has seen the biggest increase in travel interest from international travellers at 65%, followed by Ishigaki and Takayama at 52% and 44% respectively.

Of the top 10 Japanese cities that have seen the biggest increase in international traveller interest, Takayama received the highest praises from international visitors across all business categories on TripAdvisor, including eatery (4.32 out of 5), accommodation (4.18 out of 5), and attraction (4.23 out of 5).

A closer look at the top searched attraction types for international travellers in the past year found that the country’s natural beauty, rich culture, iconic sights and landmarks have been a huge draw for inbound visitors.

Cultural attractions have a huge appeal to international travellers researching for things to do in Osaka and Kanazawa. Onna-son and Ishigaki were mostly researched for their diverse outdoor offerings. International travellers looked to be particularly drawn to Takayama and Nagasaki for their unique sights and landmarks.

“The latest TripAdvisor Inbound Study for Japan not only reaffirms China’s significance as a major source of inbound tourism for Japan, but also suggests that inbound travel is being driven by the country’s diverse tourism offerings across different regions,” said TripAdvisor director of partnerships, APAC, Aaron Hung.

“The surging interest in Kanazawa and Ishigaki is evidence that international travellers are keen to discover more of Japan. With millions of reviews and opinions on Japanese accommodations, restaurants and attractions, TripAdvisor is well-poised to enable traveller discovery. Tourism businesses and destination marketing organisations across Japan should capitalise on this opportunity and maximise their use of TripAdvisor to engage and attract global audience.”