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The international balance of payments statistics report released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance on the 8th showed that Japan's travel surplus in April was 546.5 billion yen (equivalent to about 160 yen per US dollar), a year-on-year decrease of 25.2%. The data showed that foreign tourists visiting Japan spent 767.2 billion yen in April, a decrease of 17.9% compared to the same period last year. Japanese tourists spent 220.8 billion yen overseas, an increase of 8.2% year-on-year. Data released by the Japan National Tourism Organization earlier showed a 5.5% year-on-year decrease in the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan in April. In addition to a significant decrease in the number of tourists from mainland China, tourists from Europe and the Middle East also decreased significantly. Analysts believe that the prolonged conflicts in the Middle East have led to the suspension of some international flights, affecting European and Middle Eastern tourists' travel to Japan. In addition, the rise in oil prices has pushed up aviation fuel costs, and many airlines have raised fuel surcharges, which may further suppress demand for long-haul international travel and put pressure on Japan's tourism industry. (Xinhua News Agency)