In 1964, 104.6 million tourists worldwide visited foreign countries; in 1999, the number increased more than sixfold, to 664.44 million. The number of Japanese tourists traveling abroad increased rapidly after 1972, when Japan adopted the floating exchange rate system: 127,700 in 1964 increased to 1, 636,000 in 1999. The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan, however, is relatively low, and the increase small. Changes in Foreign Tourist Arrivals Shifts in Japanese Tourist Visits Abroad , Foreign Tourist Visits to Japan , and Yen / Dollar Rates 1999 data, from the JNTO "2001 International Tourism White Paper," p 322, 340.

	As the number of international tourist arrivals has increased worldwide, international tourism-related income has also grown almost 66 times, from 6.867 billion dollars (2.4721 trillion yen; at US$1 = 360yen) in 1964 to 455 billion dollars (51.829 trillion yen; at US$1 = 113.91yen) in 1999. In 1998, the combined income from international tourism and airfares* reached 532 billion dollars (69.64 trillion yen; at US$1 = 130.9yen), which constituted 8% of the volume of all product and service exports in the world. Having surpassed the automobile industry's export volumes to become the world's largest export, international tourism is an important industry for all countries and cities. Changes in the Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals and International Tourism-related Income 1998 Exports by Industry (World Totals) 1999 data, from the JNTO "2001 International Tourism White Paper," p 322. 1999 data, from the JNTO "2001 International Tourism White Paper," p 26 chart. *WTO's export volume for international tourism includes both "international tourism-related income" and "international airfare income." In this map, international tourism-related income represents the total amount spent by international tourists in the host country, plus the transport fares paid to carriers of that country for transport between the host and a foreign country; international airfare income represents the total amount paid to carriers registered in the host country by non-resident tourists (including day trips).

	If we look at the destinations of international tourists visiting Japan, we see that over 58% visit Tokyo. Enhancing the attractiveness of Tokyo--the gateway to Japan--is therefore a key issue for the entire country. Foreign Tourists Visiting Japan by Nationality 1999-2000 data, from the JNTO "Survey of Foreign Visitors to Japan," p 42. The majority of international tourists visiting Japan, almost 64%, come from Asian countries. If we look at the objectives of tourists visiting Japan by nationality, we see that where "shopping/fashion" and "city life" are high priorities for tourists from Hong Kong and China, "shrines & temples/gardens/historic sites" and "Japanese/regional cuisine" are high priorities for tourists from the USA, England, and France. In other words, Asian tourists are more attracted to the modern aspects of Japanese cities, and American and European tourists to the traditional. Percentage of Visitors by Prefecture (%) Hokkaido 3.2% Aomori 0.7% Iwate 0.4% Miyagi 1.1% Akita 0.5% Yamagata 0.4% Fukushima 0.5% Ibaraki 1.4% Tochigi 3.2% Gunma 0.7% Saitama 1.7% Chiba 12.6% Tokyo 58.3% Kanagawa 14.3% Niigata 1.0% Toyama 0.8% Ishikawa 1.1% Fukui 0.5% Yamanashi 5.9% Nagano 2.1% Gifu 1.6% Aichi 10.0% Shizuoka 3.9% Mie 1.1% Shiga 0.7% Kyoto 15.3% Osaka 25.3% Hyogo 6.1% Nara 4.1% Wakayama 0.8% Tottori 0.3% Shimane 0.2% Okayama 1.2% Hiroshima 3.2% Yamaguchi 0.7% Tokushima 0.3% Kagawa 0.5% Ehime 0.6% Kochi 0.2% Fukuoka 8.8% Saga 0.9% Nagasaki 4.2% Kumamoto 2.7% Oita 2.3% Miyazaki 1.9% Kagoshima 1.0% Okinawa 3.9% 1999-2000 data, from the JNTO "Survey of Foreign Visitors to Japan," p 13. Foreign Tourists Visiting Japan by Nationality & Objective USA England France Hong Kong Singapore China City Life 52.8% 47.7% 57.6% 71.5% - 66.2% Theme Parks 13.6% 11.7% 4.7% 39.5% - 17.3% Shopping / Fashion 64.3% 55.5% 55.3% 82.5% - 64.9% Shrines & Temples / Gardens / Historic Sites 50.1% 45.9% 61.2% 42.3% - 47.1% Japanese / Regional Cuisine 85.1% 82.6% 80% 72.2% - 67.1% Crafts 19.5% 12.5% 15.3% 11.3% - 11.6% Totals (inc. multiple answers) 508.5% 452.3% 476.3% 499.5% - 463.9% 1999-2000 data, from the JNTO "Survey of Foreign Visitors to Japan, "p 55.

	Population (Zai) Sekai no Ugokisha, "2001 Sekai no Kuni Ichiranhyou (2001 Table of the World's Countries)" Official Languages The CIA World Factbook 2000 International Tourists/International Tourism-related Income Asian Pacific Tourism Exchange Center (APTEC), "1999 Kokusai Kankou Gaikan (1999 International Tourism Survey)" Airports Airports Council International 2000 Worldwide Airport Traffic Report Aeroports de Paris Airport Authority Hong Kong Annual Report 99/00 Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Research Department Inquiry Changi Skylink Interactive Flight Planner (Singapore British Airport Authority Timetable (London) Taxi Fares Shoubunsha, "Kojin Ryokou (Independent Travel)"; Others Hotels Expedia.com Annual Rainfall/Mean Temperatures Maruzen Shuppan, "Rika Nenpyou (Chronological Table of Science)" Dining World Travel & Tourism Council Tax Barometer This survey examines the tax rates and taxes imposed on the following aspects of a 5 day/4 night trip in 52 world cities: hotel, 4 nights; dining, 12 meals; car rental, 5 days; airport taxes. Water Shobunsha, "Kojin Ryokou (Independent Travel)"; Others International Tourists and Related Income by City Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) International Tourism White Paper "Sekai to Nihon no Kokusai Kankou Kouryuu no Doukou 2001 (Trends in World and Japanese Tourism Exchange 2001)" Asian Pacific Tourism Exchange Center (APTEC), "1999 Kokusai Kankou Gaikan (1999 International Tourism Survey)" NYC&Company London Statistics "Hong Kong in Figures" Tokyo Metropolitan Government, "Sekai no Daitoshi (Major World Cities) 2000" (Paris) "People's Daily," March 20, 2000 (Shanghai) Note: The number of international tourists and international tourism-related income for Tokyo was calculated by multiplying the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan and related income by the percentage of foreign tourists visiting Tokyo. International tourism-related income for New York and Paris was calculated by multiplying the number of tourists visiting each city by the per tourist average income (unit price) for each country (extracted from data on the number of tourists and related income by country). The figure for London's international tourism-related income given in "London Statistics" (GBP6,708 million) was converted to dollars at a rate of US$1 = GBP0.723 (June 11, 2001). International tourism-related income for Hong Kong and Singapore represents data supplied by the respective countries.

	Top Page		Archives		About "Mid-Tokyo Maps"		Viewers' voices		Inquiries
Copyright (c) 2001 Mori Building Co., Ltd.