International arrivals are on the rise at Japan’s regional airports, particularly those with direct flights from neighbouring countries such as Taiwan and South Korea, as the speed of inbound recovery to the country’s regions increases.
The post-lockdown rebound of Japan’s inbound travel has been swift so far, with 25.1 million international travellers in calendar year 2023 (almost 80 per cent of the 2019 level) and record-high numbers of arrivals in 2024.
Kumamoto Airport welcomed 233,000 international passengers in 2023, double that of 2019 (Photo: Mei Yi)
Most tourists, though, have arrived via airports in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo and Okinawa.
Now, as air routes are resumed or launched and the number of flights increase, smaller regional airports are enjoying greater recovery. Nationwide, traffic reached about 60 per cent of the 2019 level during fiscal year 2023 (April 2023 to March 2024), according to aviation data.
Airports serving nearby destinations are faring better and even seeing growth. Eight of Japan’s 43 regional airports reported passenger numbers in excess of pre-pandemic levels in the last fiscal year.
In 2023, Kumamoto Airport, which offers direct flights to Taipei, Seoul and Hong Kong, welcomed 233,000 international passengers, double that of 2019, and passenger load had risen to 80 per cent as of May 2024.
International tourists have also been arriving at Kochi Airport in southern Shikoku for the first time following the launch of low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan’s flights in November 2023. The airline is experiencing increasing traffic on its two flights per week between Taoyuan and Kochi.
Still, some airports remain hampered in their recovery due to a lack of ground staff and the slow recovery of the Chinese market. Only 2.4 million Chinese travellers visited Japan in 2023, equating to about one quarter of the number in 2019.
International arrivals are on the rise at Japan’s regional airports, particularly those with direct flights from neighbouring countries such as Taiwan and South Korea, as the speed of inbound recovery to the country’s regions increases.
The post-lockdown rebound of Japan’s inbound travel has been swift so far, with 25.1 million international travellers in calendar year 2023 (almost 80 per cent of the 2019 level) and record-high numbers of arrivals in 2024.
Most tourists, though, have arrived via airports in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo and Okinawa.
Now, as air routes are resumed or launched and the number of flights increase, smaller regional airports are enjoying greater recovery. Nationwide, traffic reached about 60 per cent of the 2019 level during fiscal year 2023 (April 2023 to March 2024), according to aviation data.
Airports serving nearby destinations are faring better and even seeing growth. Eight of Japan’s 43 regional airports reported passenger numbers in excess of pre-pandemic levels in the last fiscal year.
In 2023, Kumamoto Airport, which offers direct flights to Taipei, Seoul and Hong Kong, welcomed 233,000 international passengers, double that of 2019, and passenger load had risen to 80 per cent as of May 2024.
International tourists have also been arriving at Kochi Airport in southern Shikoku for the first time following the launch of low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan’s flights in November 2023. The airline is experiencing increasing traffic on its two flights per week between Taoyuan and Kochi.
Still, some airports remain hampered in their recovery due to a lack of ground staff and the slow recovery of the Chinese market. Only 2.4 million Chinese travellers visited Japan in 2023, equating to about one quarter of the number in 2019.