If it wasn’t already clear enough that everybody loved Japan, new figures released by the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute justify it even more because Following the release, Japan was named as the fastest-growing travel destination.
The land of the rising sun has always had a reputation for being a favourite among travellers; in recent years, the country has had spectacular growth in annual overseas arrivals, in 2018 alone the country has had almost 31.2 million tourists. This was a moderate rise from the 28.7 million visitors it had the previous year, so if you find yourself amazed by the enthralling beauty of Japan, just know that you’re not alone.
How did this happen? You may ask, well, there are a ton of reasons! For instance, Japan first experienced an inflow of tourists when they demonstrated the significance of cutting red tape, which made it easier for travellers to visit the country. The falling value of the Japanese Yen has also been of some aid, as the currency depreciates, domestic goods and other commodities become cheaper, this in return makes it more attractive for tourists as they can spend more here than anywhere else.
But in all honesty, it’s no wonder people love Japan so much, it has some of the most unique places on earth, which include the spa-themed park with hot tub rollercoasters ( yes, you read that correctly), the cat island that tourists can visit to feed a clowder of cats who are always hungry despite eating more than they are supposed to (I can relate), the suicide forest that has tales about visitors both seeing and hearing mourning ghosts at night (no thank you) and the abandoned Nara Dreamland, that is not haunted but equally disturbing.
But too much of anything is definitely not good, and there is a very much serious downside to inward tourism. Japan’s lands have been a victim of increasing levels of tourist pollution and overcrowding. Residents have claimed that they cannot use local transportation or get a reservation in their favourite restaurant since the country is being overrun. As of right now, the Japan Tourism Agency has responded by launching an investigation on finding out the most affected area before the inflow of tourism from the 2020 Rugby World Cup takes even more of a toll on the country. Authorities have started building more infrastructure for tourists and have been making attempts to find a way to make tourism as sustainable as possible.
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