In response to the growing challenges of overtourism, InsideJapan Tours has introduced a new “under-tourism” initiative. The strategy is aimed at tackling overtourism by balancing visitor distribution, easing pressure on hotspots and propelling sustainable travel throughout Japan.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of InsideJapan offering small group tours and self-guided cultural adventures. Inside Travel Group Co-Founder Simon King reflected on how the landscape of travel to Japan has changed over the past two and a half decades, saying, “Japan, once a niche destination with just 4 million visitors when InsideJapan Tours started back in 2000, has seen a 600 percent increase in tourism, welcoming 36 million visitors in 2024. By 2030, that number is projected to rise to 60 million.”
King added: “While this growth has benefited the Japanese economy significantly, it has also brought inevitable challenges. Over the past two years, overtourism issues have been increasingly captured in the media. We know that in Japan, 80 percent of travelers visit only 10 percent of destinations—and we want to change that. There are more people than ever visiting the same small number of places.”
King pointed to Kyoto, where overtourism has led to measures like the banning of tourists from certain parts of the Gion geisha district. Similar issues are occurring in places like Kawaguchiko, where tourists flock to take photos of Mt. Fuji, disturbing local communities in the process.
To address these challenges, InsideJapan is spearheading an “under-tourism” initiative aimed at easing the burden of overtourism and managing its impacts. In 2024, the company sent travelers to 219 different destinations across all 47 prefectures on self-guided cultural adventures and on small group tours. Inside Travel Group Global Sustainability Manager Rob Moran said driving travelers to under-visited regions lies at the core of this strategy, with five focus regions selected for 2025. These include Yamaguchi, Nagasaki, Toyama, Nagoya and Aomori. These locations are spread across the north, central and south of mainland Honshu, as well as the southern island of Kyushu.
InsideJapan has selected the five regions based on the following factors:
- The regions are located outside of Japan’s top five prefectures (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hokkaido and Fukuoka)
- These regions attract fewer than 10 percent of visitors (according to government statistics)
- The regions operate well below their perceived carrying capacity
- The regions offer ample room night availability
- They are easily accessible with strong public transport infrastructure
- They are approved and supported by local tourism boards
- They provide an authentic cultural experience
Together, with local regions and destination management organizations (DMOs), InsideJapan Tours will enhance its product in each of the five regions throughout 2025, encouraging travelers to combine one or more of these locations into their cultural adventure trip in Japan.
A dedicated microsite, highlighting the places and a raft of experiences, will be launched soon. For more information, visit www.insidejapantours.com.
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