Think Japan had a lot of tourists in 2024? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, according to a new report on what to expect in the new year.
Japanese travel agency JTB released its 2025 estimates based on an analysis of trends in data as well as survey responses. The estimates predict that Japan travel – both domestic and inbound – will continue to grow.
The travel agency sees revenue from domestic travel increasing by around 3.8%, with the average amount spent per person growing by around 1.1%. It’s inbound travel, though, that’ll see the biggest increase.
JTB is predicting that Japan will see 40.2 million visitors in 2025. That’s an 8.9% increase over this year’s estimate of 36.9 million and a 26.1% increase relative to 2019. If that proves true, it would reflect a new record for inbound tourism.
If the numbers hold, they will put Japan on track to hit the government’s goal of seeing 60 million visitors a year by 2030. The country is currently struggling in some areas, however, to accommodate the influx. Visitors are overwhelming local transit and private taxi services. Meanwhile, the country’s aging population means that businesses such as ski resorts are disappearing faster than they can be replaced.
The influx of tourism is also pricing some locals out of their favorite restaurants and shops. Some locations – particularly historical attractions such as castles – are implementing two-tier pricing for tourists to profit off of the boom and keep attractions affordable for residents.
One type of tourism, however, is still struggling: Japanese tourism abroad. JTB estimates that only 14.1 million Japanese will travel outside the country in 2025. That’s an 8.5% improvement over 2024. That’s more than the 13 million who traveled abroad in 2024. However, it’s a mere 70.3% of the total number of people who traveled abroad in 2019.
Japan traditionally has one of the world’s strongest passports, giving Japanese tourists visa-free travel to up to 190 countries. However, few people feel they can take advantage of it. In a survey of 3,095 Japanese people, only 8.7% said they traveled abroad in 2024.
Many in Japan say they don’t travel abroad because they’re happy enough traveling domestically. However, others would like to but, thanks to the weak yen, don’t think they can afford it. Local media reports last year found some people who traveled abroad taking food with them to reduce trip costs.
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