With all the talk of overtourism and tourists behaving badly, it’s left many travelers wondering whether the majority in Japan even want tourists. Good news: a new survey shows that they overwhelmingly do.
Asahi Shimbun asked 1,103 respondents if they believed the record tourism to Japan was “good.” A full 68% said yes, with only 21% saying it wasn’t.
Of those, 18 to 29-year-olds were the most likely to say inbound tourism was good, at a whopping 79%. The lowest band was over-70s, only 63% of whom approved.
There were also regional differences. Kanto (greater Tokyo) respondents approved the most, at 74%. Kyushu residents were the least enthusiastic, with only 54% welcoming the travelers.
Despite this, many are still worried about the effects of overtourism. 78% said it was a big (23%) or somewhat (55%) of a problem.
Japan’s government wants to welcome 60 million tourists a year by 2030. It’s well on its way towards that goal, with the Japan National Travel Organization predicting 40 million visitors this year alone.
Along the way, however, the country is experiencing some scaling issues. Infrastructure and labor issues have led to transportation problems, such as crowded local buses and a dearth of taxis.
Meanwhile, residents have sometimes expressed frustration at the impact tourism is having on popular locations and neighborhoods. Two recent incidents include the shuttering of a popular tourist spot in Hokkaido and conflicts over AirBnB rentals in residential neighborhoods.
To help resolve these issues, the Japanese government and private agencies are looking at ways to help tourists spread out more across the country instead of crowding the country’s big three cities. This includes promoting other unique and charming locations across Japan, such as Izumo, Kanazawa, Morioka, Katsuyama, and Toyama.
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