Japan’s tourism industry is picking up pace after last year’s natural disasters, with the region recording the second highest passenger movement growth in the Asia-Pacific region during March this year.

Figures released by the APAC Airports Council International (ACI) found that up to 5.8 million passengers passed through Tokoyo Haneda alone while Narita saw a 30.3 percent increase on figures during the third month of the year compared to the same month last year.

Japan’s arrival growth fell behind Beijing which recorded up to 6.6 million passenger movements over the same period.

In total, Asia-Pacific tourism growth remained “strong and steady” for the third month of this year compared to the same period last year with 10.8 percent more movements recorded in the region’s airports.

Middle Eastern airports also recorded 16.4 percent more movements over the same period, with Dubai’s international airport ranking third highest in growth for the month. 

“While we are pleased to see the continuous growth in the passenger traffic in the region, especially the strong rebound of the Japanese airports, the air freight market remains a concern where the path of recovery is still unclear!” ACI Asia-Pacific regional director Patti Chau said.