TOKYO: The number of visitors to Japan in 2020 will increase 7.9 percent from the previous year to 34.3 million, rising for the ninth straight year, according to a recent estimate by major Japanese travel agency JTB Corp.

But the estimated total falls short of the Japanese government's target of 40 million.

While the number of South Korean visitors are expected to rebound after a fall in 2019 that reflected soured Tokyo-Seoul ties over history and trade issues, this year's slowdown is seen to have cast a damper on the overall pace of growth of foreign visitors.

In 2020, JTB estimates that South Korean visitors to Japan will rise by around 15 pct from 2019 on the back of an improvement in bilateral ties.

Visitors from China and Southeast Asian countries are also projected to increase.

While there are expectations that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will have positive ripple effects in attracting inbound tourists, a JTB official said, "People other than the spectators of the Games will likely refrain from visiting Japan (during the periods of the sporting events) as hotel charges and flight ticket prices go up."

JTB projects that the number of visitors to Japan in 2019 will come to 31.8 million, up only 1.9 pct from the previous year.

JIJI Press