In 2024, expenditure from domestic tourism in Japan amounted to approximately 25.1 trillion Japanese yen. This was a considerable increase compared to the previous year, marking the highest value during the past decade. Domestic tourism accounts for most of the expenditure in the tourism sector in Japan. International tourist arrivals, as well as foreign visitors’ consumption, were on the rise during the past few years.
What are the main characteristics of domestic tourism in Japan?
Some distinct characteristics of Japan’s domestic tourism industry come to light when looking at travel types and purposes. In terms of overall tourism expenditure by type of travel, domestic overnight travel in Japan proved to be the main source, followed by domestic day travel and foreign inbound travel. On average, Japanese travelers spend more money on domestic overnight trips than on any other type of travel. Looking at the domestic tourism expenditure on overnight trips by purpose of travel, trips for sightseeing and recreation generated the most travel expenditure in the country, followed by traveling home, and lastly, by business travels.
Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic
Japan’s domestic tourism was not nearly as negatively affected during the COVID-19 pandemic as was the case for inbound and outbound tourism. Nevertheless, the number of travelers dropped sharply during 2020 and 2021, slowly recovering from 2023 to pre-pandemic levels. The peak in expenditure generated by the domestic travel industry in 2024 suggests a substantial growth of the industry. However, the number of travels recorded for the year declined, while the expenses per traveler per trip increased significantly compared to 2019. One reason for this development might be the weakening of the yen and the accompanying increase in the price of services, which inflates the expenditure.
AloJapan.com