Inbound Attraction: Clear Divide Between ‘Winners’ and ‘Losers’—Are Unpopular Cities Nagoya and Kobe Targeting Summer Vacation?

Not every corner of Japan is visited by inbound tourists.

After the backlash from COVID-19 and the impact of a weak yen, the number of inbound tourists visiting Japan has sharply increased. Especially in cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo, the presence of inbound tourists is frequently noticeable.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the number of foreign visitors to Japan exceeded 3 million for two consecutive months in March and April 2024. This surpasses the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, even though tourists from mainland China have yet to return. By country, there has been an increase from South Korea, Indonesia, the United States, and in April, records were set for single-month highs from France, Italy, and the Middle East.

However, it’s not accurate to say that inbound tourists are visiting every corner of Japan. Even within urban areas, there is a clear division emerging between the ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in inbound attraction efforts.

“No inbound tourists in Nagoya” Reasons heard locally.

In mid-May, the author visited Nagoya. During this time, it became overwhelmingly apparent that compared to other urban areas, sightings of inbound tourists were extremely scarce.

For instance, on April 23rd, despite the weekday opening of the “Chunichi Building,” there were large crowds waiting to enter popular stores, but upon closer inspection, they were all locals. Even the “Osu Shopping Street,” known as Japan’s liveliest shopping district, reportedly thrived with Japanese tourists during Golden Week, yet there were no signs of inbound tourists on weekday evenings.

One of the most striking impressions from speaking with those involved in tourism in Nagoya was the phrase, “The consequences of not having conducted inbound PR are now coming back to haunt us.” Firstly, it’s well known that there’s not much collaboration between the top leaders of Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya City, as seen in the recall movement against the former governor of Aichi Prefecture and subsequent turmoil. This has reportedly affected various collaborations between the prefecture and the city.

Additionally, there are voices saying, “Aichi Prefecture is still making efforts, but Nagoya City is not good at PR.” According to the Nagoya City Tourist and Accommodation Trends Survey (’22), reasons for not feeling Nagoya’s appeal as a tourist destination include “having a less distinct tourism image compared to other tourist cities” (58.6%) and “few attractive tourist facilities” (29.3%) ranking high. For reference, popular facilities in Nagoya include the “Vantelin Dome Nagoya” (annual visitors: approximately 3.03 million), “Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens” (same: approximately 2.25 million), and “Nagoya Port Aquarium” (same: approximately 1.84 million), which are not particularly geared towards inbound tourists.

Hotel prices in Nagoya on July weekends are about half of those in Osaka and Sapporo!

However, it’s not accurate to say that no inbound tourists come to Nagoya at all. According to Chubu Centrair International Airport’s (Centrair) preliminary figures for annual air passenger traffic in 2023, international flights have seen a significant increase to 2.57 million passengers, recovering to 63% of pre-COVID levels in 2019. Flights have resumed, focusing on countries like South Korea and Taiwan, with new routes expanding. On May 31st, Finnair resumed flights on the Nagoya-Helsinki route twice a week.

Nevertheless, compared to other major airports like Haneda, Narita, Kansai, Fukuoka, and New Chitose, the numbers are still relatively low. There are no direct flights from North America or Oceania, and Finnair is the sole carrier from Europe, with no current routes from the Middle East. For example, in Osaka over the past six months, the increase in European travelers has been notable due to the addition of Emirates, Etihad Airways, Turkish Airlines, and Qatar Airways, among others.

In early July weekends, hotels in central Nagoya, particularly major business hotel chains, are around 10,000 yen per night for two people. This is cheaper compared to approximately 20,000 yen in Sapporo and Osaka. On the other hand, destinations like Shirakawa-go and Hida Takayama are popular among inbound tourists from Europe and the United States. There is a considerable demand for accommodation in Nagoya as a base for visiting these places. It’s also noted that many inbound tourists transfer at Nagoya Station to take the limited express Hida train. In essence, Nagoya serves more as a transit point for inbound tourists rather than a primary tourism destination.

“Regional Cities” and the Impact of Direct International Flights

In addition to Nagoya, other urban areas in Japan such as Kobe and Yokohama also see relatively fewer inbound tourists. While these cities have their allure as port towns, attractions like Himeji Castle, Kobe Beef, and Nada Gogo sake are more popular among inbound tourists in Hyogo Prefecture. However, Kobe itself may not be seen as a destination worth visiting, distinct from these attractions. Similarly, in Kanagawa Prefecture where Yokohama is located, areas like Kamakura with attractions such as the Great Buddha at Kotoku-in and the Hakone area with the Hakone Open-Air Museum are more popular among foreign tourists than Yokohama.

Cities with many and few inbound tourists. One criterion is the presence or absence of direct international flights, which is particularly evident at regional airports. Below are listed major airlines and their regular destinations.

•  Korean Air (South Korea):
  Sapporo (New Chitose), Aomori, Tokyo (Haneda/Narita), Niigata, Nagoya (Chubu), Komatsu, Osaka (Kansai), Okayama, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Naha
• T’way Air (South Korea):
  Sapporo (New Chitose), Tokyo (Narita), Toyama, Osaka (Kansai), Fukuoka, Saga, Kumamoto, Naha
• Tigerair Taiwan (Taiwan):
  Asahikawa, Sapporo (New Chitose), Hakodate, Hanamaki, Akita, Sendai, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tokyo (Haneda/Narita), Niigata, Komatsu, Nagoya (Chubu), Osaka (Kansai), Okayama, Kochi, Fukuoka, Saga, Naha
• StarLux Airlines (Taiwan):
  Sapporo (New Chitose), Hakodate, Sendai, Tokyo (Narita), Nagoya (Chubu), Osaka (Kansai), Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Naha
• Hong Kong Express (Hong Kong):
  Tokyo (Haneda/Narita), Nagoya (Chubu), Osaka (Kansai), Takamatsu, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Naha

When traveling to regional areas, it’s sometimes surprising to find many inbound tourists in unexpected cities. Taiwanese tourists, in particular, are now found throughout Japan, but places without direct flights are relatively fewer in number.

For example, when the author visited Kagoshima in March this year, it was clear that there were more Western tourists than Asian tourists at popular attractions like Senganen Garden and Sakurajima. The reason given locally at hotels was “cruise ship passengers.” If you don’t see many Taiwanese tourists in other cities, it might be because there were no direct flights to Kagoshima at that time.

Inbound tourists from East Asia such as Korea and Taiwan often opt for short stays using direct flights. Recently, charter flights have become popular, but destinations with regular and direct flights serve as a useful reference.

Is avoiding “popular cities for inbound tourism” the golden rule this summer vacation?

Cities with high inbound tourism also see soaring prices for domestic hotel stays. Recently, many people have been troubled by the high cost of domestic hotels for travel or business trips. Avoiding “popular cities for inbound tourism” is likely the first rule if you want to find more affordable options and avoid crowds.

As mentioned earlier, cities with direct flights tend to attract many inbound tourists, leading to potentially high prices for hotels and other accommodations. While major cities have a greater number of hotels, smaller cities may have fewer options, causing even well-known hotel chains to be more expensive.

According to the Accommodation Travel Statistics Survey released by the Japan Tourism Agency (second preliminary report for February 2024), comparing the total number of guests to the same month in 2019, the following prefectures showed decreases: Fukui (-26.9%), Akita (-21.3%), Fukushima (-18.6%), Iwate (-18.4%), Yamanashi (-18.3%), Miyazaki (-16.1%), Saga (-13.9%), Yamagata (-11.7%), among others. While these figures include both Japanese and foreign guests, it suggests that these prefectures likely have fewer inbound tourists as well.

Places that are difficult to access by car are also less frequented by inbound tourists and can be promising. In remote areas, many places still only use Japanese, including accommodations and restaurants that deliberately do not display foreign languages. Booking accommodations can be challenging for inbound tourists, as some places may only have Japanese-language websites or do not offer bookings through international OTAs like Expedia and Booking.com, making it worthwhile to look directly at these places.

If you cannot drive, consider using local buses. Language barriers often deter inbound tourists from using local bus services in rural areas. However, Japanese language skills facilitate immediate assistance in case of trouble or inquiries.

It’s a good idea to use this opportunity to slightly adjust your travel style. From hotels to traditional inns or guesthouses, and from airplanes to trains or buses, there are many options for domestic travel. Through such journeys, you may discover new experiences.

Inbound travelers often stick to “classic” patterns in terms of transportation and accommodations. By deliberately avoiding these patterns, you might save on travel expenses and avoid crowds. Consider this when planning and booking your domestic summer vacation.