TOKYO -- Japan saw arrivals from overseas plunge 93% in March, a record year-on-year decline, as the novel coronavirus has kept travelers at home. Economists predict the number of foreign visitors to Japan will drop 30% to 80% for the full year, a serious setback for the government's hopes for tourism.
Its initial target was to draw 40 million visitors this year. Eased visa requirements and a big marketing push overseas have helped fuel a huge increase in overseas arrivals in the past decade. The tourism boom has been one of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's biggest successes on the economic front.
