TOKYO -- Japan's inbound visitor growth slowed in 2019 on a drop in South Korean tourists amid bilateral tensions, leaving the government with a tougher hurdle to clear to achieve its ambitious target this year.
Japan welcomed 31.88 million foreign visitors in 2019, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced Friday. Although arrivals increased for an eighth consecutive year, the 2.2% growth rate was the smallest since 2012. Natural disasters including destructive typhoons contributed to the slowdown.
