Published on : Saturday, December 8, 2018
But the country as a whole is in two minds about the huge surge of visitors, that has taken even government planners by surprise. While the income is keeping them happy, the overcrowding in tourist hot spots, especially in the ancient capital of Kyoto, is not.
According to Japan Natural Tourism Organization, the total number of inbound tourists more than tripled over 4 years from 8.4 million in 2013 to 28.7 million in 2017. The government has announced a target of 40 million annual inbound tourists by 2020, which is equivalent of around 30% of the Japanese population.
Hence, Japan clearly has both long-term opportunities and challenges in tourism.
In a time when safety and security is a rare commodity in many countries globally, Japan is definitely a safe haven. Hence, it is seeing an influx of visitors in recent times.
Tags: Tourism boom in Japan