Japan welcomes record number of foreign tourists thanks to this

The fact that Japan saw a record increase in the number of foreign tourists in the first nine months of this year shows that measures to revive the "smokeless industry" of the cherry blossom country have made clear progress.

Japan welcomed a record number of foreign tourists in the first nine months of 2025. (Source: Yomiuri Shimbun)

According to data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the number of foreign tourists to the land of sakura reached a record 31.65 million people in the first 9 months of this year.

At this rate, JNTO forecasts that Japan is expected to break the 2024 record of 36.87 million visitors and could even reach around 40 million visitors this year.

Tourism emerges as a bright spot

Specifically, from January to September, the total number of visitors to Japan increased by 17.7% over the same period. Of which, Chinese visitors accounted for the largest proportion with 7.48 million arrivals, a sharp increase of 42.7%; followed by South Korea with 6.79 million arrivals, an increase of 5% and Taiwan (China) with 5 million arrivals, equivalent to an increase of 9.8% over the same period.

In September alone, the number of foreign visitors to Japan reached 3.26 million, up 13.7% year-on-year and reaching a monthly record high. Of these, about 65% were from East Asia.

Regarding tourism spending, in the third quarter of this year, total tourism spending in Japan reached 2.13 trillion Yen (equivalent to 14.1 billion USD), up 11.1% over the same period. However, average spending per visitor decreased slightly by 0.2%.

Notably, among foreign visitors to Japan, tourists from Germany were the biggest spenders with over 435 thousand Yen, followed by British tourists with 360 thousand Yen and Spanish tourists with 354 thousand Yen.

Besides these bright spots, JNTO said that one of the main reasons for the slight decrease in spending is the slowing growth of the Chinese economy , causing Chinese tourists to tighten their spending, with a decrease of 7.2% compared to the same period.

Tourists from South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan also spent less. Hong Kong alone saw a 12.3% drop in September, its fifth consecutive monthly decline, due to holiday changes and flight cancellations due to typhoons and rumors of a possible major earthquake in Japan.

Japan's "Pocket Secret"

Japan aims to attract 60 million tourists and achieve a total spending of 15 trillion Yen by 2030. To realize this ambition, the land of the rising sun has recently implemented many strategic, methodical and flexible policy measures to attract foreign visitors to explore this country.

First of all , the key factor in Japan's success in tourism is the diversity of tourism services for all types of travelers, such as the bustling streets of Tokyo, ancient temples in Kyoto to the natural beauty of Hokkaido and unique cultural experiences across the world's fourth largest economy.

In addition, Japan focuses on investing in tourism infrastructure, improving the overall experience for tourists, including easy access to tourist attractions, offering diverse tour packages, language services and more foreign-friendly amenities, thereby providing more choices and increasing spending.

Second , Japan invests heavily in promoting international tourism, taking advantage of global cultural and sporting events such as the Tokyo Olympics, the Rugby World Cup, and many other campaigns such as cultural festivals, anime and manga, or culinary competitions to help Tokyo create a strong media wave, promoting the country's image.

In particular, the 184-day World Expo 2025 held in Osaka city was a great success, bringing positive effects to attract tourists and promote local traditional culture through booths and events.

Third , Japan develops tours with many unique experiences and clear market segments. For example, with the sustainable and rural tourism portfolio, Japan encourages tourists to go to rural areas such as Tohoku and Shikoku to experience local culture, homestays and local cuisine, thereby reducing the pressure of tourism on big cities.

With its health and wellness tourism portfolio, Japan makes good use of hot springs, meditation and healthy cuisine to attract health-conscious travelers.

As for the category of TV show filming and film making, this country focuses on creating maximum conditions for international film crews to come and produce, thereby turning Japanese locations into ideal tourist destinations in the future.

Finally , Japan is increasing direct flights with low-cost airlines and tailoring marketing campaigns to suit regional cultures, thereby attracting different groups of tourists.

It can be seen that the prospect of attracting foreign visitors from now until the end of the year in the Japanese market still has a lot of room, because there are still some major holidays such as Christmas, New Year 2026 and Lunar New Year.

To continue to attract international tourists to the land of sakura, Japan needs to continue to combine the economic advantage of the Yen, marketing strategies and market diversification, and a solid service foundation to consolidate its position as one of the world's top tourist destinations.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nhat-ban-don-luong-khach-du-lich-tu-nuoc-ngoai-tang-ky-luc-nho-lam-dieu-nay-331689.html