Economic Short Comment （05 Apr 2024）
Inbound visitor destinations have changed before and after COVID～ With noticeable concentration in specific regions ～～4● Smooth Recovery of Inbound Tourism
Inbound tourism continues to recover steadily. In the most recent
February 2024, the number of visitors reached 2.87 million,
surpassing the pre-pandemic level (February 2019) by 7% (anincrease of 180,000 people) as shown in Figure 1. While visits from

【Figure 1】
Trend in the Number of（ten thousand
Inbound Visitorspeople）
350
All300Excluding China250

China are still lagging behind in recovery, non-Chinese visitors

200

have already significantly exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

150

These positive trends not only support hotel demand but also
contribute to increased sales in department stores. Amid prolonged

1005007 10 1 4 7 10 1 4 7 10 1 4 7 10 1 4 7 10 1

inflation and less-than-rosy domestic consumption, the growth ofinbound tourism has become a valuable positive factor for overall

1920

21222324（source）JNTO「Inbound Foreign Visitor Numbers」

demand.
【Figure 2】
Total Number of Inbound（ten thousand Visitors' Accommodationpeople）
1400● Regional Disparities in Inbound Visits
However, it’s important to note that recent inbound tourism trends
highlight concentration in specific regions. Judging the destinations

1200
1000
800of inbound visitors based on accommodation data reveals this clear

600

pattern.

400

For instance, comparing recent accommodation data (January2024) with pre-pandemic data (January 2019), the total number ofovernight guests has increased by approximately 2 million,reaching 11.23 million (as shown in Figure 2). However, this growth
is not evenly distributed across all regions. Only 21 out of the total
prefectures have surpassed the January 2019 levels, accounting forless than half of all prefectures.
Notably, the most significant increases occur in four prefectures:Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka, and Kyoto. When combining theincreased numbers from these four regions, it exceeds 2 million
visitors (as shown in Figure 3). On the other hand, Hokkaido has
experienced a decrease of 100,000 visitors, and Okinawa has seen

● Concentration of Inbound Accommodation in the Greater

1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 1192021222324（source）JTA「Accommdation Travel StatisticsSurbey」【Figure 3】

The change in the total numberof overnight visitors to Japan.
（Jan2019 → Jan2024）（ten thousand people）
180
160
140
120
100806040
200-20・・・

Okinawa
Hokkaido
Shizuoka
Kagoshima
Nagasakidisparities.

0NaganoFukuoka
Kyoto
Kanagawa
OsakaTokyoa decline of 160,000 visitors, highlighting substantial regional

200（source）JTA「Accommdation Travel Statistics
Surbey」

Tokyo Area
※ The purpose of this document is to provide information and is not intended to solicit product transactions. Additionally, thisdocument has been created based on data deemed reliable by our company, but it does not guarantee accuracy or completeness. Thecontents mentioned in this document are as of the time of writing and may be subject to change without notice in the future.

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As a result of these trends, the regional share of total overnight stays has rapidly expanded in the Greater Tokyo
Area (as shown Figure 4). It has increased from 29% in January
2019 to 39% in January20 24, representing a significant 10-point【Figure 4】

Changes in the Distribution of AccommodationLocation for Inbound Visitors（％）（point）

rise.

40In contrast, for the Kansai region, although the total number of30

overnight guests has increased by 440,000, the regional share has

2010

decreased by 0.7 points. This situation illustrates a clear

105concentration trend toward the Greater Tokyo Area. Recognizing

00that 40% of accommodation stays are concentrated in this region

-10-5

2015

Other

Okinawa

KyusyuKansai

Tokai

GreaterTokyo area

After all, the distribution of inbound consumption is closely tied toHokkaido

holds significant implications for the overall inbound consumption.

Jan-19Jan-24
Differece of share（source）JTA「Accommdation Travel Statistics Surbey」

the distribution of accommodation locations.

（Reference）
Resona Research Institute Co.,Ltd
Hideyuki Araki, Chief Economist
hd-araki@rri.co.jp※ The purpose of this document is to provide information and is not intended to solicit product transactions. Additionally, thisdocument has been created based on data deemed reliable by our company, but it does not guarantee accuracy or completeness. Thecontents mentioned in this document are as of the time of writing and may be subject to change without notice in the future.

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