Another record was shattered last month when it comes to tourism. Not in Hawaiʻi, but in Japan.
The tourism records keep falling. Close to 4 million foreign visitors came to the country last month — a spike of some 22% from a year earlier.
While the spring cherry blossoms had faded by May, enthusiasm for Japan as a travel destination clearly had not. South Korea sent the most tourists, followed by China.
Both countries broke records for the number of people traveling to Japan in May, along with 19 other tourism markets setting similar records.
India, Taiwan and the United States all contributed to the high numbers. It's a trend that has carried through the entire year so far.
A year ago, the first five months of 2024 set a new record for the number of international visitors to Japan: more than 14.5 million. So far this year, the numbers are running about 24% higher than that.
Those working in Hawaiʻi's travel and hospitality industries may be more interested in a different number. The Japan National Tourism Organization reported Wednesday that the number of Japanese nationals traveling overseas broke through the 1 million mark in May, an increase of more than 14%.
Later this month, the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism will report on how many of them came to Hawaiʻi.
