TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan set a fresh record for monthly visitors in June, official data showed on Friday, as the weak yen fuelled a tourism boom that is becoming a key driver for the economy.
The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure was 3.14 million last month, exceeding the previous monthly record set in March and up from 3.04 million in May, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) showed.
The 17.78 million travellers through June was also a record for a half-year period, and on pace to smash through the previous annual high of 31.9 million in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic shut global borders.
The government estimates that visitor spending will reach 8 trillion yen ($50 billion) this year, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Thursday. ($1 = 157.4200 yen)
(Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)
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