Govt: High Value-Added Tourism Key
![](https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/20230518G0TG0TJ9990953.jpg)
Overseas tourists and other visitors walk along Nakamisedori street in the Asakusa district of Tokyo in May 14.
14:54 JST, June 14, 2023
TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The government on Tuesday reported that spending by tourists in the country has been recovering from a slump caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, while also pointing out the need to pursue high value-added tourism.
As Japan substantially relaxed its pandemic-related border restrictions in October last year, spending by foreign visitors to the country recovered to ¥1,014.6 billion in January-March 2023, about 90% of the same period in 2019, according to the 2023 white paper on tourism, adopted at the day’s Cabinet meeting.
Annual domestic travel spending by Japanese in 2022 increased nearly 90% from the previous year to about ¥17.2 trillion.
Meanwhile, the annual government report also showed that Japan’s tourism gross domestic product ratio, or the ratio of the tourism industry’s added value amount to the overall economy, stood at 2.0% in 2019, far below the average of 4.0% for the Group of Seven advanced countries excluding Japan.
Tourism GDP is calculated by subtracting the amount of costs from the tourism industry’s overall revenues. To increase this, it is necessary to boost spending per tourist.
As specific measures, the white paper cited enhancing customer satisfaction by remodeling guest rooms at accommodation facilities, including installing private open-air baths and providing high-quality services based on analyses of customer data.
"Society" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Typhoon Shanshan Forms, Slowly Moves Toward Japan; Govt Says Typhoon No. 10 Likely to Approach Japan Next Week
-
Typhoon Ampil Approaching Japan
-
Shizuoka Pref. City Offers Foreigners Free Japanese Language Classes; Aims to Raise Non-Natives to Daily Conversation Level
-
Typhoon No. 10 Forecast to Develop; Move into Pacific Ocean South of Japan on Aug. 26
-
Tokyo Companies Prepare for Ashfall From Mt. Fuji Eruption; Disposal Of Ash, Possibly at Sea, A Major Challenge
JN ACCESS RANKING