Japan Sets 60 Million Visitor Target, Reinforcing Shift to High-Value, Dispersed Tourism

Japan has formally adopted a new national tourism strategy, setting a target of 60 million inbound visitors and JPY 15 trillion in tourism spending by 2030.

The plan positions tourism as a core industry and outlines a dual focus on expanding inbound demand while ensuring sustainability and quality of life for local residents.

A key pillar of the strategy is the redistribution of demand beyond major cities. The government aims to significantly increase overnight stays in regional areas, alongside raising per-visitor spending to approximately JPY 250,000.

The plan also highlights the importance of repeat visitors, with a target of 40 million repeat travellers, indicating a shift towards deeper, experience-driven travel.

At the same time, overtourism management, workforce shortages, and productivity improvements through digital transformation are identified as critical challenges.

Why it matters

Japan’s tourism strategy is clearly moving towards a high-value, distributed model.

For travel companies, this means: • Growth will be driven by both volume and spending, not volume alone • Regional destinations will become central to product design • Repeat visitors and longer stays will shape demand patterns

This provides a clear signal that Japan is positioning itself as a high-value destination, requiring more differentiated and experience-led offerings.

Based on official announcement by Japan Tourism Agency and industry reporting