Special Focus: Tourism

Sectors:

Japan has a vibrant tourism market and is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for international travellers. This resurgence is due to several factors: The drop in the value of the yen, brought about as part of the economic programme of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has significantly boosted tourist spending in Japan. Furthermore, several recent events have further raised the profile of Japan’s tourist sites; including the designation of mount Fuji as a UNESCO world heritage site, the inclusion of" Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese" to the Intangible Cultural Heritage list, and the announcement of Japan’s successful bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. To read more, please see below:

About Tourism

In 2017, 28,690,900 foreigners have visited Japan. This represents a 19.3% increase relative to the year before. Historically, Japan has had an economically weak hotel sector which has not reached the levels expected of the world’s third largest economy. In recent years, the sector has grown after undergoing a major recovery following the damage endured during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Foreign guests who made overnight stays at hotels and other accommodations in Japan rose 15.0 percent to 6.78 million in March from the previous year as regional cities attracted more tourists, government data show. To read more, please see below:

Hotels

Japan’s food industry is closely related to its economy. Changing habits are reflected in the decrease of traditional, family-run restaurants, which are steadily being replaced by new chain restaurants. The increased number of visitors to Japan is likely to benefit the sector. For more information, please click on the link below:

Restaurants & Catering

Publications:

This report is designed as a travel guide to Japan and gives detailed practical information on the country. It references travel formalities and basic country information such as emergency numbers, advice about the language and health care, as well as transportation information in Japan. Furthermore, it provides practical information about the 7 major Japanese cities: Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, and Sapporo. To read the report, please click on the link below:

Practical Booklet on 7 Major cities in Japan

This report titled "The Tourism Sector in Japan – Explore Business Opportunities in European International Outbound Tourism to Japan" takes a close look at the characteristics and trends of this sector. This report provides information about the government initiatives and strategies to increase tourism in Japan. In addition, it presents the broad range of tourism activities that Japan can offer and elaborates on ICT services available in the country. This report also provides information about the market leaders and presents the different sport events and important trade fairs that can motivate Europeans to travel to Japan. Finally it presents various recommendations to EU companies for a successful market entry. To read the report, please click on the link below:

The Tourism Sector in Japan