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TOKYO: Japan’s ambitious goal of attracting 60 million foreign tourists a year – more than double current levels – is entirely achievable despite growing concerns about overtourism, its tourism chief said on Thursday (June 20).
Japan attracted more than 25 million tourists from countries such as South Korea, Singapore and the United States last year, driven by the lifting of border restrictions during the pandemic.
Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Ichiro Takahashi acknowledged that achieving the previously announced target of 60 million visitors would remain “difficult”, but stressed that it was still possible.
“We can definitely achieve this number if we make the right efforts,” Takahashi told a briefing in Tokyo.
“There are still many little-known places in Japan that have yet to be explored by overseas tourists – I believe Japan has unlimited tourism resources,” Takahashi said.
More than 3 million foreign tourists visited Japan It was the third straight month of negative growth in May, according to government statistics released on Wednesday.
But the influx of tourists into Japan in recent months has reignited concerns about overtourism, with local residents complaining that they sometimes behave badly and break etiquette.
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