Politics & Government

PM Ishida Orders Finalization of National Tourism Plan; 60 Mil. Visitors to Japan Targeted for 2030

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Many foreign tourists are seen in Osaka in May.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:41 JST, March 19, 2025

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday instructed his Cabinet to finalize a national tourism plan for fiscal 2026-2030 by March next year.

The plan, called the “Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Plan,” includes the goals of increasing foreign visitors to Japan to 60 million and increasing consumption to ¥15 trillion in 2030.

Ishiba gave the instructions at the Ministerial Council on the Promotion of Japan as a Tourism-Oriented Country, which was held at the Prime Minister’s Office on the day.

At meeting, it was reported that the number of foreign visitors to Japan last year was about 37 million and consumption totaled about ¥8.1 trillion. Both figures are record highs.

Ishiba asked that efforts be made to improve the attractiveness of local regions in order to attract more visitors to those areas. He also called for the accelerated introduction of the Japanese version of ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization,) which will require visitors to report where they plan to stay in Japan before arriving in the country. He also called for efforts to prevent overtourism.