Latest news with #JapanTourismAgency
The Independent
21 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
The new rules for tourists in Japan's crackdown on unpaid medical bills
Japan is planning to tighten immigration rules to address the issue of foreign tourists leaving without paying their medical bills. The new policy may require tourists to obtain private medical insurance and allow immigration authorities to screen visitors for a history of unpaid bills. The government's upcoming annual economic and fiscal policy review will address insurance coverage for foreign visitors. A survey of 5,500 medical institutions in Japan found that 0.8 per cent of foreign visitors did not pay their medical bills in September 2024, resulting in approximately 61.35m Yen (£316,000) in unpaid costs. A survey by the Japan Tourism Agency in 2024 found that nearly 30 per cent of visitors did not have insurance while in Japan.
Kyodo News
a day ago
- Business
- Kyodo News
Gov't wants Japanese travelers to see more of their own backyard
Spotlight Japan - 2 hours ago - 14:00 | Travel/Tourism, Spotlight With domestic tourism in Japan struggling to keep pace with inbound visitors, a government report encourages residents to get out and spend more time experiencing their country's regional charms. In its annual white paper on tourism, the Japan Tourism Agency shifted focus from inbound visitors to target Japanese domestic travelers whose numbers are yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Domestic overnight and day trips taken by Japanese travelers totaled around 540 million in 2024, down 8.2 percent compared to 2019, according to the report. By contrast, Japan welcomed 36.87 million foreign visitors in 2024, up 15.6 percent compared to 2019. Despite efforts to encourage foreign visitors to explore regional destinations across Japan, Japanese travelers still accounted for more than 85 percent of overnight stays in rural areas in 2024. But with the population aging and shrinking, the agency said it was necessary to promote an increase in the frequency and duration of visits among individual Japanese travelers. Harnessing a trend among young travelers to be more involved with local communities, the agency said it will promote a new style of travel, moving away from the typical tourist experience. By facilitating opportunities for engagement between travelers and locals at the destination, it wants to encourage repeat visits that give travelers a feeling of having returned home. The report highlighted the success of recent demonstration projects, among them a project in the mountain town of Dake Onsen, in Fukushima Prefecture. Visitor programs introduced by the town's tourist association have broadened the area's appeal beyond mountaineering and encouraged local mountain guides to take on the wider role of trip coordinator. According to the report, the programs have helped bring a new profile of visitor to the area, in addition to hikers and mountaineers. With an increasing number of Japanese placing more value on leisure time, the agency also said that it aims to remove barriers to travel, including a reluctance to take time off work. The report highlighted a so-called 'learcation' initiative implemented by Aichi Prefecture. A combination of "learn" and "vacation," the initiative encourages working parents to make use of vacation days by allowing them to take their children out of school for a day of educational experiences. The initiative allows for three days a year out of school. Parents and students must submit a plan for the day in advance. Over 36 percent of students in public elementary schools across the prefecture made use of at least one of the days during the 2024 academic year, according to a prefecture survey. Despite the number of travelers remaining sluggish, spending by Japanese on domestic trips hit a record high of 25.1 trillion yen ($176 billion) in 2024 -- an average of around 47,000 yen per traveler on a single trip, based on preliminary figures. Hot spring resorts and local food were the most popular trip themes for nearly all age groups, according to the report. This article was submitted by a contributing writer for publication on Kyodo News Plus. Related coverage: Over 60% of train travelers annoyed by behavior of foreign tourists: survey Gunma Pref. tops relocation destination ranking Gov't pictograms target tourists behaving badly
Kyodo News
a day ago
- Kyodo News
Gov't wants Japanese travelers to see more of their own backyard
Spotlight Japan - 14 minutes ago - 14:00 | Travel/Tourism, Spotlight With domestic tourism in Japan struggling to keep pace with inbound visitors, a government report encourages residents to get out and spend more time experiencing their country's regional charms. In its annual white paper on tourism, the Japan Tourism Agency shifted focus from inbound visitors to target Japanese domestic travelers whose numbers are yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Domestic overnight and day trips taken by Japanese travelers totaled around 540 million in 2024, down 8.2 percent compared to 2019, according to the report. By contrast, Japan welcomed 36.87 million foreign visitors in 2024, up 15.6 percent compared to 2019. Despite efforts to encourage foreign visitors to explore regional destinations across Japan, Japanese travelers still accounted for more than 85 percent of overnight stays in rural areas in 2024. But with the population aging and shrinking, the agency said it was necessary to promote an increase in the frequency and duration of visits among individual Japanese travelers. Harnessing a trend among young travelers to be more involved with local communities, the agency said it will promote a new style of travel, moving away from the typical tourist experience. By facilitating opportunities for engagement between travelers and locals at the destination, it wants to encourage repeat visits that give travelers a feeling of having returned home. The report highlighted the success of recent demonstration projects, among them a project in the mountain town of Dake Onsen, in Fukushima Prefecture. Visitor programs introduced by the town's tourist association have broadened the area's appeal beyond mountaineering and encouraged local mountain guides to take on the wider role of trip coordinator. According to the report, the programs have helped bring a new profile of visitor to the area, in addition to hikers and mountaineers. With an increasing number of Japanese placing more value on leisure time, the agency also said that it aims to remove barriers to travel, including a reluctance to take time off work. The report highlighted a so-called 'learcation' initiative implemented by Aichi Prefecture. A combination of "learn" and "vacation," the initiative encourages working parents to make use of vacation days by allowing them to take their children out of school for a day of educational experiences. The initiative allows for three days a year out of school. Parents and students must submit a plan for the day in advance. Over 36 percent of students in public elementary schools across the prefecture made use of at least one of the days during the 2024 academic year, according to a prefecture survey. Despite the number of travelers remaining sluggish, spending by Japanese on domestic trips hit a record high of 25.1 trillion yen ($176 billion) in 2024 -- an average of around 47,000 yen per traveler on a single trip, based on preliminary figures. Hot spring resorts and local food were the most popular trip themes for nearly all age groups, according to the report. This article was submitted by a contributing writer for publication on Kyodo News Plus. Related coverage: Over 60% of train travelers annoyed by behavior of foreign tourists: survey Gunma Pref. tops relocation destination ranking Gov't pictograms target tourists behaving badly
Yomiuri Shimbun
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Olympians-Turned-Mayors Go to Australia to Promote Nagano Ski Resorts; Prefecture Hopes Ex-Athletes Will Help Attract More Tourists
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo Nagano Mayor Kenji Ogiwara speaks at the Nagano municipal government building in Nagano City in November 2024. NAGANO — Nagano Mayor Kenji Ogiwara, a two-time Winter Olympic gold medalist, and Gaku Hirasawa, a former Olympic athlete and mayor of Yamanouchi, Nagano Prefecture, are working together to promote ski resorts in the prefecture to attract more overseas tourists. Ogiwara, 55, won gold in the Nordic combined team event at two consecutive Olympics, and Hirasawa, 52, competed in Alpine skiing at two Winter Games, including at the Nagano Olympics. The two former Olympians went to Australia on Thursday to promote the prefecture's snow quality and various tourist attractions, including Zenkoji temple in Nagano City. Ogiwara and Hirasawa have known each other since they were athletes, and it was Hirasawa who called Ogiwara about the initiative. Mayor Yoshinao Gaun, 62, who is the mayor of Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, joined the two for their trip to Australia, where they are expected to meet with local media and speak with tourism authorities. In Sydney on Sunday, they are also expected to participate in Snow Travel Expo, where they are set to hold a speaking event. The powdery snow in Nagano Prefecture is a major draw, and the number of foreign tourists visiting the prefecture is rapidly increasing. According to the Japan Tourism Agency, an initial estimate showed that about 2.18 million tourists stayed overnight in the prefecture in 2024, about 1.4 times more than the 1.57 million in 2019. However, the problem is that the tourists coming to ski generally do not visit the prefecture's other tourist destinations. Apparently, Australian tourists to ski tend to extend their stay in the country. '[The mayors] know about snow quality because they were top athletes,' said an official of the Nagano municipal government's tourism promotion department. 'We hope that they'll make the most of their expert knowledge, as well as their fame, to increase tourism [in Nagano Prefecture].'
Kyodo News
23-05-2025
- Kyodo News
Foreign visitors to Japan in April set monthly record at 3.9 million
KYODO NEWS - May 21, 2025 - 20:26 | All, Japan, Travel/Tourism The number of foreign visitors to Japan in April hit a single-month record of 3.91 million, government data showed Wednesday, as arrivals were bolstered by the weak yen and high travel demand due to the country's cherry blossom season and Easter holidays overseas. Foreign arrivals surged 28.5 percent from a year earlier, surpassing the previous record of 3.78 million in January, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. Japan received some 14.45 million foreign arrivals from January to April, exceeding the 11.60 million recorded in the same period in 2024. Foreign visitors to Japan topped 36 million last year, with authorities struggling to take measures against overcrowding in popular areas and encourage tourists to disperse into the countryside. The number of foreign visitors this year may reach 45 million or 46 million, Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Naoya Haraikawa told a press conference. "We are going to start taking action now," he said. By country and region, 765,100 people visited Japan from China in April, up 43.4 percent from the same month last year. Visitors from South Korea totaled 721,600, up 9.1 percent, and 537,600 came from Taiwan, an increase of 16.9 percent from a year earlier. Inbound tourists from Canada and Britain hit record monthly highs, with 72,600 and 69,500 arrivals from those countries, respectively, while visitors from South Korea, China and Singapore were the highest recorded for April. Meanwhile, the agency said that Japanese domestic travelers spent 5.65 trillion yen ($39.1 billion) in the January-March quarter, up 15.5 percent from the same period last year. Expenditure on travel with accommodation totaled 4.59 trillion yen, while spending on day trips amounted to 1.06 trillion yen. Related coverage: Local reaction to Mt. Fuji photo hunters causing major regrets Visitors to Japan most frustrated with lack of trash bins: survey Japanese-style inn operator eyes U.S. expansion after N.Y. listing
