Japan - United States Tourism Year
The governments of the United States and Japan have officially designated 2024 as the U.S.-Japan Tourism Year, marking a concerted effort to reinvigorate mutual tourism exchanges. To reach this goal, a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) was signed between U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel and Japan’s Tourism Minister Tetsuo Saito in November of last year. The U.S.-Japan Tourism Year, which runs from January 2024 to March 2025, aims to enhance tourism through a series of events and programs that offer valuable opportunities for American travel and tourism businesses.
Prior to COVID-19, Japan was the second-largest overseas source of travelers for the United States, annually sending 3.8 million visitors and contributing $13 billion in spending for the U.S. economy. The U.S. has historically been the most popular destination for Japanese travelers, with visitors occupying an 18.7% market share. However, post-COVID, Japanese outbound travel has slowed due to remaining COVID concerns and the weak Yen. Despite these challenges, the U.S.-Japan Tourism Year aims to revitalize tourism flows between the United States and Japan.
Key events under the U.S.-Japan Tourism Year include symposiums at major international tourism conferences, such as IPW in Los Angeles in May 2024 and the Japan Tourism EXPO in Tokyo in September 2024. The Tourism Year has also been promoted to large audiences at professional baseball games in Washington, DC in May 2024, and will be highlighted in Tokyo during a game at the Tokyo Dome in September 2024. Furthermore, the U.S. and Japanese governments are promoting the resumption and expansion of sister-city exchange programs, with 464 existing partnerships serving as a foundation. Moreover, during the Tourism Year, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will fully implement Global Entry in Japan by the end of 2024. This program offers expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the U.S., reducing wait times and processing lines. Detailed information on this can be found on the CBP’s website: (https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/international-arrangements/japan).
The U.S.-Japan Tourism Year presents unique opportunities for American travel and tourism businesses to broaden their reach and attract the growing number of Japanese travelers visiting the United States. U.S. businesses that stand to benefit from the U.S.-Japan Tourism Year include destination marketing organizations (DMOs) seeking to attract more Japanese visitors, tour operators offering customized tours, airlines facilitating flights between the U.S. and Japan, hospitality providers with budget and luxury options, rental car companies, theme parks, and event management companies organizing sports-related tourism programs. These companies can engage with the Japanese tourism market through joint promotional events, partnerships with Japanese travel companies, and various media campaigns.
In light of the U.S.-Japan Tourism Year and the anticipated rise in demand for travel, Japanese travel companies are seeking updated information on destinations and services offered by the U.S. travel industry. Given these developments and the push to attract more Japanese travelers to the United States, now is an opportune time for the U.S. travel industry to strategically promote its destinations and services in the Japanese market. For more information about the Japanese outbound travel market and the U.S.-Japan Tourism Year, contact the Commercial Service Japan at Office.Tokyo@trade.gov.