2017.12.27
Okinawa tourists expected to break 9 million mark this year
The Okinawa Prefecture Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports announced that 762,000 tourists visited Okinawa in November, which is 17.3% more than in November last year.
That brings the total number of tourists from January through November to 8,677,700. As officials expect that the number in December would exceed the number last year, they say that it’s certain that the total number for 2017 would exceed 9 million for the first time ever.
The number of tourists from January to December 2016 was 8,613,100, but the number as of the end of November this year has already exceeded the total of last year.
The number of tourists in August this year exceeded the 1-million-mark for the first time ever. Although there were two typhoons on weekends in October, the number of tourists still was the highest ever for October.
The number of foreign tourists from Jan. to Nov. was 2,359,100, which is a 21.3% increase from last year. Domestic visitors numbered 6,318,600, which is a 5.2% increase.
23 cruise ships visited Okinawa in November, more than 3 times the previous year boosting the number of foreign tourists by 65.5%.
Domestic tourists in November were up 7.5%.