As Japan continues to post record inbound tourism numbers, the country’s largest travel company says the real challenge facing the industry is not overtourism, but how visitors are spread across the country.
Speaking to Skift, JTB Corp. President and CEO Eijiro Yamakita said Japan has enough capacity to welcome more travelers. The problem, he said, is that most visitors are still going to the same few cities.
“Overtourism is not the real issue,” Yamakita said. “Distribution is.”
Japan last year recorded 42.7 million inbound visitors, with the majority concentrated in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. To ease congestion, JTB has developed five regional travel routes, including Hokkaido, Tohoku, Setouchi, Kyushu, and the Rainbow Route linking Tokyo, Kanazawa, and Kyoto. The goal is to encourage travelers to spend more time in regional areas.
Yamakita said Japan has significant untapped tourism potential beyond its major cities, but some region
AloJapan.com