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Asahi Shimbun
2 days ago
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
The ups and downs of luring rich tourists to less-known areas
Operators of overseas travel agencies catering to wealthy clients observe a craftsman working at a Kaga Yuzen workshop in Kanazawa in February. (Yoko Masuda) Japanese areas that may not be household names among international tourists are increasingly appearing on the bucket lists of rich travelers. The efforts of government and tourism agencies to bring affluent visitors to Japan's lesser-known regions appear to be paying off. Luxury tour packages are consistently filled, and the visitors have no qualms about opening up their wallets to pour money into local economies. But questions about such tourism packages are being raised by local residents, many of whom say they are not feeling the benefits of hosting wealthy foreigners. Critics say efforts to cater to rich tourists have fueled increases in land prices that have driven out residents and created imbalances in local labor markets. INTO CULTURE The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is pitching lesser-known regions to travel agencies that curate trips to Japan for deep-pocketed clients. One such destination is Kanazawa, the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture. At a workshop nestled in residential district of Kanazawa, six foreigners watched kimono fabric being dyed in the traditional Kaga Yuzen technique passed down for centuries in the city. The visitors were all travel agency executives who flew to Japan in February at the JNTO's invitation. Gideon Nurick, a visitor who runs a travel agency in Vancouver, said Japan's attention to hygiene has heightened its popularity among travelers in the post-pandemic era. He said he will recommend Kanazawa to his customers. The JNTO started offering such inspection tours for foreign travel agencies in 2017. Although a tour to a dyeing workshop in Kanagawa costs 50,000 yen ($345) per visitor on average, hordes of international tourists have signed up, according to the Kanazawa City Tourism Association. 'Eighty percent of visitors to our workshop are from overseas, and the rest are Japanese officials in the kimono industry,' said Hitoshi Maida, a Kaga Yuzen craftsman who guided the inspection tour. Many of the tourists, he added, snap up pricy products sold at the workshop, such as glass panels sandwiching a piece of silk kimono cloth dyed in Kaga Yuzen style for display. A large one costs up to 2 million yen. GROWTH IN RICH TOURISTS Japan saw a record 36.87 million international arrivals in 2024, who spent a record high 8.14 trillion yen during their stay. The average per person was 227,000 yen. But some forked out several times more, and these are the tourists that the JNTO's program is targeting. An affluent visitor is defined as someone who spends at least 1 million yen during the stay in Japan. According to a JNTO study in 2023, affluent visitors accounted for only 2.4 percent of all foreign tourists, but their consumption represented 19.1 percent of the total. McKinsey & Company Inc., a management consulting firm, expects tourism catering to the privileged to grow faster than other industries, citing a rise in the global population of people with $1 million in net assets. The Japanese government is focusing on bringing well-heeled tourists to local destinations to achieve its target of 15 trillion yen in tourism revenue by 2030. INFRASTRUCTURE DEMAND Big spending travelers feel discouraged from visiting areas with no five-star hotels or five-star services, according to the Japan Tourism Agency. Takehiro Okamoto, co-CEO of Tokyo-based travel agency Wondertrunk & Co., said high-quality infrastructure and services are a must for regional areas aiming to become destinations for prosperous travelers. 'No matter how charming local regions are, we cannot recommend visits to sites if the equivalent of five-star hotels and comfortable transportation are not available,' said Okamoto, whose agency arranges tailor-made tours for the super-rich via travel agents in the United States and Europe. He said its typical clients stay in exclusive hotels and travel in chauffeur-driven vehicles with a personal tour guide. They each spend about 3 million yen during their stay in Japan. Okamoto said his company's sales almost doubled in 2024 from a year earlier because of a surge in foreign tourists. The Japan Tourism Agency in 2023 and 2024 designated 14 locations as 'model' regional sites to attract affluent tourists. 'The economic benefit will be exceedingly high and contribute to the revitalization of the regional economy,' the agency said on its website. One of the model sites is the Setouchi region, which consists of seven prefectures, including Hyogo, Hiroshima and Kagawa, around the Seto Inland Sea. After the selection in 2023, Setouchi tourism officials attended the Monaco Yacht Show last year to better understand the type of tourism big spenders prefer. The officials' catchphrase now is that the rich can make a journey in the Seto Inland Sea on their large yacht. A trip on a luxury cruise ship has been popular in the region. The two-night, three-day cruise on the Guntu ship costs between 600,000 yen and 1 million yen per passenger. The cruises have been booked to capacity, according to the operator. One magnet in the region is Naoshima, a small island filled with museums and famed installations in Kagawa Prefecture. It has been called a 'modern art haven.' The number of tourists taking helicopter rides to Naoshima from Kyoto or Osaka is rising, according to local officials. At least eight upscale hotels, many of them using foreign capital, are expected to open in the region by the end of 2029, according to the Inland Sea, Setouchi Tourism Authority, a consortium of tourism companies from the seven prefectures. Among them is Mandarin Oriental in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, which is scheduled to open in 2027 with a spa and swimming pool. The room charge will start at around 80,000 yen. Another hotel with a quaint atmosphere is expected to open on Naoshima around the same time. Tourists to the Setouchi region provided 183.5 billion yen in revenue in 2024, up 45 percent from a year earlier, according to an estimate by the Inland Sea, Setouchi Tourism Authority. The figure is the highest since the organization began collecting such data in 2017. The average monthly wage in the lodging industry in the region was 250,000 yen in 2024, 23,000 yen higher than in 2018, the year before the coronavirus pandemic struck. The 2024 figure is lower than the national average of 269,000 yen for services industries. But the wage growth in the region's tourism-related sector is steeper than in other regions. A majority of locals are skeptical about whether promoting tourism will truly benefit their communities. In a 2024 questionnaire of residents in Setouchi, 44.2 percent said they felt the economic benefits of tourism, down about 4 percentage points year on year. The ratio of respondents who felt little or no economic upside from tourism stood at 55.7 percent. 'An increasing number of residents have begun to view foreign tourists, including higher spending travelers, in a negative light as they become more aware of the unfavorable aspects of overtourism that have cropped up in many parts of Japan,' said Hiroshi Sakamoto, senior managing director of the Inland Sea, Setouchi Tourism Authority. LABOR PITFALLS Yoshihiro Sataki, a professor of tourism policy at Josai International University in Chiba Prefecture, said hosting luxury accommodations in regional areas can put a strain on other sectors because job hunters will likely flock to the better-paying positions at upscale hotels. At Niseko, an internationally renowned ski resort in Hokkaido, a housekeeper at a luxury hotel could earn more than 2,000 yen an hour during high season, double the minimum wage for Hokkaido, in 2024. The trend of locals seeking jobs at high-end facilities makes it even more difficult for operators of nursing care centers and restaurants that are already suffering from chronic labor shortages. In Kyoto, construction of luxury hotels has led to soaring land prices and higher housing costs for residents. The trend has had disastrous consequences for the ancient capital. More Japanese residents moved out of Kyoto than from any other Japanese city for three straight years from 2020. The exodus included many families raising young children. Toshiya Miyazaki, chief researcher with Mitsubishi Research Institute who is well-versed in tourism policy, said focusing on big spenders can help the local economy, given their strong interest in the traditions and cultural heritage of their destinations. 'If they purchase expensive classical handicrafts of local regions that average Japanese cannot afford, it will contribute to the preservation of the traditional craft industry,' he said. But he warned against overreliance on tourism. He said while Nara Prefecture is widely seen as a heavily tourism-oriented prefecture, its tourism industry makes up less than 10 percent of the overall amount of local banks' outstanding loans. 'Relying on tourism as the largest single source of revenue is a wrong approach,' he said. 'A rise in higher-spending visitors alone will not be enough to bolster the regional economy.'
Observer
21-07-2025
- Observer
Japan tourism launches campaign for GCC travelers
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has launched a new integrated media campaign in the GCC, aimed at encouraging future repeat travel to Japan by showcasing destinations beyond popular cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. This initiative focuses on promoting visits to new areas of Japan that are still less well known in the GCC countries, contributing to the diversification of travel experiences. As interest in Japan continues to grow throughout the GCC, JNTO's efforts come at a time of record-breaking visitor numbers. In 2024, the number of visitors to Japan from the six GCC countries reached an all-time high of 44,661—marking a 34.5% increase from the previous year. In the first half of 2025, arrivals have continued at an even stronger pace, with a 20.2% increase compared to the same period in 2024—further underlining Japan's rising popularity in the Middle East. While first-time visitors to Japan typically explore Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, this campaign encourages seasoned travelers to explore new regions such as Hokkaido, offering cool summer weather, dynamic outdoor experiences, and high-quality accommodations ideal for luxury travelers. The island's natural bounty also brings exceptional culinary experiences, with locally sourced seafood, dairy, and produce. Additionally, Hokkaido provides an opportunity to learn about the unique traditions of the Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan. Kobayashi Daisuke, Executive Director of JNTO Dubai Office, said, "With the continued growth in visitor numbers, we believe it is time to move our promotional efforts in the GCC market to the next phase. Hokkaido is the perfect summer destination for travelers from this region—its cool weather, rich natural beauty, fresh gourmet cuisine, and luxurious accommodations make it an ideal escape from the heat."
17-07-2025
International Visitors to Japan Hit 20 Million in First Half of 2025
Japan had 20 million international visitors in the first half of 2025, reaching this total in the fastest time ever. The official tally was 21,518,100 as of the end of June. The Japan National Tourism Organization announced that 3,377,800 visitors came to Japan in June 2025, which was an increase of 7.6% compared with the same period in 2024 and set a new record for the month. It was the ninth consecutive month to log more than 3 million visitors. Chinese tourists lead the way at 797,900 (up 19.9% compared with June 2024), followed by visitors from South Korea at 729,800 (up 3.8%), Taiwan at 585,000 (up 1.8%), and the United States at 345,100 (up 16.4%). New records of visitors were set in June for 15 of the 23 countries and regions that are Japan's major tourist markets, including the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. However, baseless rumors circulating online of a major disaster set to take place in July were shared widely in Hong Kong, resulting in a drop of 33.4% in visitor numbers to 166,800. Data sources (Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: Tourists take pictures wearing kimonos. © Reuters.)
The Star
17-07-2025
- The Star
Japan sees record 21.5 million tourists in first six months
The surge in visitors has created various challenges for Japan, including overtourism. - Photo: AFP TOKYO: A record 21.5 million tourists visited Japan in the first six months of the year, a 21-percent increase year-on-year, official figures showed Wednesday (July 16), despite visitors from Hong Kong dropping by a third over rumours of a quake. "The number exceeded 20 million in six months, the fastest pace ever," the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) said in a statement. The figure in June alone jumped 7.6 percent to record 3.4 million, due to "increased demand to coincide with school holidays," it said. The number was boosted by a jump year-on-year in tourists from China, South Korea, Singapore, India, the United States and Germany. But the number of travellers from Hong Kong plunged 33.4 percent, with the JNTO citing online rumours warning of a huge quake in Japan. People from Hong Kong made nearly 2.7 million trips to Japan in 2024. Although it is impossible to know exactly when earthquakes will hit, fear-inducing predictions have spread widely among the Chinese city's residents. Some posts cited a Japanese manga comic that predicts a major natural disaster in July 2025 -- based on the author's dream. Japanese authorities have repeatedly said the rumours are false. The government has set an ambitious target of almost doubling tourist numbers to 60 million annually by 2030. Authorities say they want to spread tourists more evenly around the country, and to avoid a bottleneck of visitors eager to snap spring cherry blossoms or vivid autumn colours. But as in other global tourist magnets like Venice in Italy, there has been a growing pushback from residents in destinations such as the ancient capital of Kyoto. - AFP
Japan Today
16-07-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Japan sees record 22 mil foreign visitors in 1st half of 2025
Foreign tourists are seen in Tokyo's Asakusa area on July 16. Japan saw a record 21.5 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2025, government data showed Wednesday, with travel demand remaining strong even outside peak seasons. Visitor numbers for the first six months of the year topped the previous record of 17.78 million set a year earlier, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. The number of foreign visitors in June totaled 3.38 million, up 7.6 percent from a year earlier and the highest ever for the month. By country and region, South Korea accounted for the highest number of visitors in the first half of the year at 4.8 million, followed by China at 4.7 million and Taiwan at 3.3 million. All markets exceeded their figures from the previous year, with China seeing a notable 53.5 percent increase. The surge in visitors has created various challenges for Japan, including overtourism affecting the quality of life for locals in popular destinations. Meanwhile, spending by foreign visitors in the April-June quarter totaled around 2.5 trillion yen ($16.8 billion), up 18.0 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to estimates from the Japan Tourism Agency. Chinese visitors led spending, accounting for 20.4 percent of the total at 516 billion yen, followed by Americans at 357 billion yen and Taiwanese at 292 billion yen. Visitors to Japan spent around 239,000 yen per person on average, with Britons spending the most at around 444,000 yen, followed by Italians at 398,000 yen and Germans at 396,000 yen. © KYODO
