August 29, 2019
Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs

Survey concerning visitors to Tokyo in 2018
Number of inbound visitors is the highest ever at 14.24 million (a 3.4% increase over the previous year)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has compiled survey results on the number of visitors to Tokyo and estimated tourism expenditures to serve as basic data to advance policies for promotion of the tourism industry.

Points from the survey findings

Number of inbound/domestic visitors to Tokyo and tourism expenditures (January - December 2018)

(For details, see the attached “Survey concerning visitors to Tokyo in 2018”(PDF:353KB))

In 2018, there were around 14.24 million inbound visitors to Tokyo, an increase of 3.4% over the previous year. In the same year, the number of domestic visitors to Tokyo was around 536.5 million, a 2.5% increase over 2017.

• Although the number of inbound visitors to Tokyo was temporarily affected by natural disasters, 2018 had the most visitors on record due to initiatives by the public and private sector to promote Tokyo’s tourism and create a welcoming environment for visitors, along with measures taken to relax visa requirements for foreign visitors from Asia and other regions.
• The number of domestic visitors to Tokyo increased, with moderate economic recovery driving demand for tourism and business.

Inbound visitors spent about 1.19 trillion yen on tourism within Tokyo, an increase of 5.4% over 2017. Spending on tourism by domestic visitors was around 4.83 trillion yen, a 2.8% increase over 2017.

Reference

Methodology for the “Survey concerning visitors to Tokyo”
Surveys taken and estimates made every quarter based on “Common criteria for tourist statistics (formulated December 2009, revised March 2013)” of the Japan Tourism Agency, with the addition of features distinctive to Tokyo’s tourism.

1. Inquire about visitor numbers at tourism-related facilities in Tokyo
2. Conduct surveys of travelers at 57 tourism-related facilities, and 5 ports and airports
3. Estimate the number of visitors (tourists) to Tokyo from the results of (1) and (2) above, and Japan Tourism Agency data. The survey included foreigners and was tallied by Tokyo residents, Non-Tokyo residents, and inbound visitors.

• Local municipalities provided cooperation concerning selection of facilities, etc. to be surveyed and collection of completed questionnaires.
• The individual results of facilities and others that participated in this survey are not made public.

(*) Reference: Changes in the number of foreign visitors to Japan/Tokyo and domestic visitors to Tokyo(PDF:126KB)

Inquiries (Assistance in Japanese only)

Planning Section, Tourism Division Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs E-mail: S0000571(at)section.metro.tokyo.jp * The above e-mail address has been arranged as an anti-spam measure. Please replace (at) with @.