Weakening yen sees number of Thai tourists visiting Japan soar
Japan National Tourism Organisation says more than 600,000 Thais visited Japan in the first six months of the year
Low-cost airline Thai AirAsia believes that the weakening of the yen (currently at 23 baht per 100 yen) is one of the key factors behind an increasing number of Thai travellers visiting Japan in the first half of this year.
Airline CEO Santisuk Klongchaiya on Monday cited a report from the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) which said that around 618,300 Thais have visited Japan in the first six months of 2024, increasing 24% year on year and a jump of 90% compared to the same period in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.
In June alone, some 54,600 Thais entered Japan, an increase of 6.3% year on year and 86.7% higher than the same period in 2019.
“Japan has always been a popular destination among Thai tourists,” he said. “This year, airlines have been opening new routes to Japan while the yen continues to weaken, further attracting Thais to visit the country.”
He added that Thai AirAsia expects this trend to continue for the rest of the year.
JNTO ranked Thais in 6th place as top foreign arrivals this year following visitors from South Korea (4.44 million), China (3.06 million), Taiwan (2.97 million), the United States (1.34 million), and Hong Kong (1.27 million).
Thailand is ahead of other Southeast Asian countries on the list, with JNTO commenting that the market in this region is growing rapidly. Besides Thailand, other main contributors include the Philippines (401,700), Vietnam (331,900), Singapore (300,000), Indonesia (263,800), and Malaysia (241,800).
Santisuk added that the airline also saw an increasing number of Thais visiting China in the first half of this year, thanks to the mutual permanent visa waiver policy that kicked off on March 1.
The CEO said some 55,000 Thais have flown to China with the airline in the first six months of this year, a 30% increase over the same period in 2019, and responsible for 15% of the airline’s total passengers.
“We estimate that by year-end, the ratio of Thai travellers visiting China will increase to 20% of total passengers,” he added.
Thai AirAsia operates an average of 115 flights to China per week across 12 routes.
