TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan topped the list of foreign tourist spending in Japan in 2023, setting a new record, according to a survey by Japan's Tourism Bureau.
Taiwanese tourists spent a total of 783.5 billion yen (approximately NT$168 trillion), contributing to the overall foreign tourist expenditure of 5.3 trillion yen (approximately NT$1.14 trillion).
The 2023 total marked a 10.2% increase from 2019, with an average per person spending of 213,000 yen, a 34.2% rise from 2019.
Apart from Taiwan, the top five spenders included China (760.4 billion yen, 14.3%), South Korea (739.2 billion yen, 13.9%), the United States (607 billion yen, 11.4%), and Hong Kong (480 billion yen, 9.0%). These five regions accounted for 63.5% of the total spending.
In contrast, China's spending in 2019 was 1.77 trillion yen, making up 36.8% of the total.
In terms of expenditure items in 2023, accommodation costs were the highest at 1.83 trillion yen (34.6%), followed by shopping at 1.4 trillion yen (26.5%), and dining at 1.19 trillion yen (22.5%). Compared to 2019, the proportion of accommodation costs increased, while shopping decreased from 1.67 trillion yen.
On average, Australian tourists spent the most per person at 341,000 yen, followed by Spain at 336,000 yen and Italy at 334,000 yen. Among these three countries, Italy saw the most significant growth from 2019, with an increase of 67.6%.
