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Tourism in Japan: The gap between frequent travelers and those staying at home is growing
Japan sees growing gap in travel behavior. Domestic travel should be encouraged as the number of foreign visitors increases.
Tourism in Japan: The gap between frequent travelers and those staying at home is growing
The Japanese government recognizes an urgent need for action in domestic tourism, as the current white paper for 2025 shows. It reveals a growing divide between frequent travelers and non-travelers that is becoming increasingly polarized. While the number of people traveling within the country increases, there remains a significant group of travelers who travel little or not at all. This was noted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) in its analysis of domestic travel dynamics. The increase in travel is therefore of strategic importance for the national economy and overall social well-being.
In recent years, the coronavirus pandemic has brought additional challenges. While the number of business trips has declined and confidence in high-traffic destinations has decreased, other groups are showing a growing interest in individual recreation and experiential tourism. While before the pandemic, spending on domestic travel peaked at 34.3 trillion yen (approximately 214 billion euros) in 2012, demand for domestic travel is now expected to increase. In 2012, Japanese travelers accounted for 25.1 trillion yen (approximately 157 billion euros), accounting for around 70 percent of total spending.
Development of travel dynamics
The trend shows increasing polarization in travel behavior. While the group of frequent travelers is growing, the number of those who rarely travel is also not ignored. Younger people find themselves in precarious working conditions, which often leads them to travel less. The aging of the population and cultural changes in leisure behavior also contribute to this development. To address these challenges, MLIT relies on innovative approaches such as workcations, which combine vacation and teleworking to influence travel behavior more positively.
Region-specific measures have been tested in Tottori and Akita prefectures, although the question remains whether such approaches will be scaled up nationwide. However, it is clear that the aim is to distribute travel activity more evenly throughout the year in order to avoid excessive visitation in certain months.
Foreign tourism and challenges
Nevertheless, the Japanese government faces significant challenges. Problems such as overcrowding, rude behavior by tourists and increasing litter have long been noticeable in some regions. To address these challenges, measures are being taken to combat overtourism. These include improving train and bus services and introducing pictograms to explain social etiquette.
Efforts to promote regional destinations and balance tourist concentrations have also become important. There is a growing need for detailed information about crowds and traffic jam levels, for example through special apps. Local bodies already impose overnight taxes on travelers, with the city of Kyoto planning to increase the maximum tax from 1,000 yen to 10,000 yen per night to fund infrastructure for incoming visitors.
However, the focus should not only be on the number of visitors, but also on improving the quality of life of local residents and promoting exchanges between travelers and locals in order to prevent possible friction. It is considered crucial that local governments take the opinions of residents seriously and make the use of tax revenues transparent.