The number of visitors to Japan in July rose to the highest level seen since the worst of the pandemic, official data showed Wednesday, as a weak yen helped boost tourism and contribute to a surge in growth for the world's third-largest economy.

The number of foreign visitors to the country for business and leisure was 2.32 million last month, up 12% from June when travelers exceeded 2 million for the first time since January 2000, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) said.

Arrivals in July were, however, still down 22% from July 2019, before the outbreak of COVID-19 led to travel curbs around the world.