TOKYO – Japan saw a sharp rise in Filipino tourist arrivals in April, with an estimated 91,000 visitors from the Philippines recorded during the month, up 32.8 percent from a year ago, according to preliminary data from the Japan National Tourism Organization.
From January to April, 302,200 Filipinos visited the Land of the Rising Sun, a 12.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Tourism officials attributed the surge to the favorable exchange rate, the popularity of the cherry blossom season, and overseas Easter holidays that boosted outbound travel.
Japan welcomed about 3.9 million foreign visitors overall in April, up 28.5 percent year on year. The Philippines ranked eighth among the country’s top inbound markets, following China, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States, Hong Kong, Thailand and Australia. - Florenda Corpuz
(Photo: Foreign and local tourists enjoy a cherry blossom cruise along Osaka’s new “Water Corridor,” a centerpiece of the city’s waterfront revitalization project connecting Nakanoshima and the Expo 2025 site. Courtesy of Suito Osaka Consortium.)
