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| Above, the Kachidoki Bridge and the Sumida River in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Like the tides, there's an ebb and flow to tourism, and that goes especially for Japan.
Along with that, while the Japanese travel industry enjoys the increased revenue, there's another (surprising to the government) side of that coin.
According to Nikkei Asian Review:
Japan's tourist boom is the source of great joy to hoteliers, restaurateurs and the renters of kimonos -- yours for the day for as little as 3,000 yen ($26).
But the country as a whole is in two minds about the huge surge of visitors, that has taken even government planners by surprise. While the income is welcome, the overcrowding in tourist hot spots, especially in the ancient capital of Kyoto, is not.
According to Japan Natural Tourism Organization, the total number of inbound tourists more than tripled over 4 years from 8.4 million in 2013 to 28.7 million in 2017. The government has announced a target of 40 million annual inbound tourists by 2020, the equivalent of around 30% of the Japanese population.
This is still well short of the potential if France, a well-established tourist destination is any guide. It received 82.6 million inbound tourists in 2016, the equivalent of 120% of its inhabitants. Japan clearly has both long-term opportunities and challenges in tourism.
To read more, go here.
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