The number of foreign visitors to Japan in the first half of 2017 soared 17.4% from a year earlier to a record 13.76 million, the Japan Tourism Agency estimated Wednesday.
Spending per visitor in April to June fell 6.7% to 149,248 yen, the sixth consecutive quarter of decline, reflecting decreased spending by Chinese tourists once known for extravagant shopping and shorter stays by South Korean tourists traveling on low-cost carriers.
By country and region, South Korea accounted for the highest number of foreign tourists at 3.40 million, up 42.5%, followed by China at 3.28 million, up 6.7%. The number from Hong Kong surged 24.8% to 1.08 million.
Although tourists from China ranked top in June, the agency said the modest rise of 0.8% indicates they are shifting to Europe for travel destinations.
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