Tourism expenditure distribution in Japan 2014-2023, by segment

In 2023, spending by domestic tourists accounted for 81.1 percent of tourism expenditure in Japan. This was the highest share of expenditure that inbound tourists ever had, improving on the result from 2019 and continuing the upward trend that was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

How does Japan’s inbound tourism industry compare internationally?

Prior to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan’s inbound tourism industry had generated high expectations, as the number of international visitor arrivals more than tripled in the past decade. Before the pandemic, Japan made it into the top ten countries in terms of international tourism revenue, by the end of the past decade. Tourism expenditure of international visitors experienced considerable growth, yet domestic tourism still accounted for the lion’s share of Japan’s travel and tourism expenditure.

Which sectors of domestic tourism generate revenue?

A look at domestic tourism by travel purpose, reveals that most of the expenditure was generated by leisure travel, while the rest was produced by business travel. In terms of travel type, domestic tourism expenditure on overnight trips was the dominant travel segment.