Foreign visitors to Japan decline in 2009 for first time in 6 years
January 26th, 2010
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Mainichi Japan
Foreign travelers to Japan in 2009 declined for the first time in six years due in part to the global recession and the appreciation of the yen, the Japan National Tourism Organization announced.
Overseas tourists to Japan dropped by 1.56 million, or 18.7 percent, from the previous year to an estimated 6.79 million in 2009, the sharpest decline since records were first kept in 1964, according to the organization. This is mainly due to the worldwide economic slump triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the swine flu outbreak and the appreciation of the yen.
