THE NUMBER of Japanese tourists arriving into Australia tumbled by a fifth in January, causing further concern for tourism chiefs.

Estimated figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed less than 50,000 Japanese arrived in Australia at the start of the year, compared with more than 62,000 in January 2006.

It follows a fall in November and December of 9 per cent. The figures emerged as Tourism Australia managing director Geoff Buckley told a Senate hearing its ‘Where the bloody hell are you’ campaign was a major success. He admitted however that Japan struggled in 2006 with numbers down five per cent.

“It’s been a tough year for that key market for tourism,” Buckley said.

Figures also revealed a sharp decline in arrivals from Taiwan which fell 33 per cent to 7,300. Overall arrivals fell one per cent during the month to 462,000. The figures were buoyed by a six per cent jump from the UK to almost 72,000 while arrivals from Korea climbed 20 per cent to 33,500.

It follows increases of 10 cent and 31 per cent in the last two months of 2006. Story courtesy Travel Today.