Record number of foreigners, above 24 million, visit Japan in 2017

The number of foreign visitors to Japan this year has established a new record, exceeding the previous high of over 24 million logged last year, Japan's tourism minister said Friday.After hitting the 20-million mark on Sep. 15 at the fastest pace ever, the number of visitors surpassed 2016's record of 24,039,700 last Saturday, the minister Keiichi Ishii said.The figure has been boosted by an increase in budget airlines and cruise ships connecting Japan with its neighbors such as China, South Korea and Taiwan, according to officials."The government's efforts (to promote inbound tourism) have…READ FULL ARTICLE