Ep 150: Japan Reopens for Tourism, with Kyoji Kuramochi, JNTO

About This Episode

16 Sep 2022 • 36m02s

“From 6.2 million visitors in 2011, Japan welcomed 32 million arrivals in 2019.” The reopening of Japan has been eagerly anticipated across Asia Pacific. Japan is both a highly desirable “four seasons” destination and a vital market for travel and tourism region-wide.

This week, Gary and Hannah discuss the outlook as Japan accelerates its reopening with Kyoji Kuramochi, Executive Director, Global Strategy Headquarters of the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO).

In a fascinating interview, Kuramochi-san discusses the dramatic growth of tourism from 2010-2019, the JNTO’s new global marketing strategy, its priority visitor markets and a vision for developing tourism by 2030.

He addresses an array of key themes, including air connectivity, airport expansion and visa policies. Segments explored include domestic travel, culinary tourism and Muslim-friendly tourism.

Plus, we analyse sustainable development goals, and the development of rural tourism throughout Japan. Kuramochi-san also delivers data-driven insights about key Asian inbound markets, including China and South East Asia, and looks ahead to the 2023 Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido.

Resources

JNTO’s Explore Deeper guide

View All Episodes

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Play
5 May 2025 • 32m10s

Ep 252: From 40,000 to 152 Billion: South East Asia's Top 8 Travel & Tourism Statistical Talking Points

South East Asia comprises 10 diverse nations and nearly 700 million people spread across a vast landmass. Consequently, the numbers are often large, impactful and scaleable - and travel and tourism are no exceptions. This week, Gary and Hannah select the Top 8 statistical talking points from across the region. These cover inbound and outbound travel, ASEAN vs APAC airline seat capacity, the Hajj pilgrimage from Indonesia, human capital development in Vietnam – and electrified living everywhere.
Play
27 Apr 2025 • 33m31s

Ep 251: Mixed Travel & Tourism Vibes Across South East Asia: April 2025 in Review

April began with the announcement of US “reciprocal tariffs”, which ranged from 10% to 49% on exports from South East Asian nations. This has created toxic uncertainty across all industries in the region, notably business travel. But before the tariff turmoil, Q1 had delivered mixed results for travel and tourism, with the Eid al-Fitr holiday numbers particularly weak in Malaysia and Indonesia. Was this the result of the Lunar New Year and Eid public holidays being in the same quarter, or are we at the start of a cyclical travel slowdown in ASEAN?