With Japan recording at least three million international arrivals per month since March, more and more tourism stakeholders are considering how to address overtourism – however, a new study shows inbound travellers are increasingly visiting off-the-beaten-track destinations.
Travellers noted the places they visited during their stay in a survey carried out between March and May by Navitime. The Tokyo-based navigation service provider then calculated year-on-year growth rates for each destination.
The top performer was Minami-ashigara, Kanagawa Prefecture, which enjoyed a 32-fold increase thanks to early-blooming cherry blossom, followed by Katsuyama, which saw a 24-fold rise. The Fukui Prefecture city is known for its dinosaur museum, which was renewed in 2023, and huge Buddha statue, considered one of the greatest in Japan.
Mie Prefecture’s Suzuka had the third-highest growth due to more international travellers visiting to watch the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix.
According to Navitime, the rise in popularity of these cities is due to their exposure on social media, including Instagram and Facebook, and an uptick in repeat visitors to Japan.
If more repeaters equate to greater exploration of Japan, then, second- or third-tier cities could see even more visitors in the long-term, according to a July survey of 7,460 people. The Japan Brand Survey 2024, placed Japan top, after Singapore and the US, as the most desired country to revisit.
Mike Harris, chief refreshing officer of Gunma Prefecture-based outdoor experience provider Canyons, told TTG Asia that another factor in tourism growth in less well-known destinations is “an increasing interest (among international customers) to travel off the beaten path and experience rural Japan”.
