The “Tourism Expo Japan 2024,” one of the world’s largest tourism-related trade fairs, will be open to the public this weekend at Tokyo Big Sight in Koto Ward, Tokyo. This year, overseas exhibitors will outnumber domestic exhibitors for the first time due to expectations of a recovery in Japanese tourists traveling abroad.
More than 1,000 companies and organizations from Japan and 80 countries and regions around the world will participate in the event. The venue is filled with booths representing various international cultures, such as a booth from Thailand showcasing a sightseeing train made from a repurposed Japanese rail car and another booth from Saudi Arabia where visitors can try their hand at Arabic calligraphy.
In 2023, the number of Japanese tourists traveling abroad was only 9.62 million, which is less than half of the pre-pandemic figure of 20.08 million in 2019. However, there has been some recovery this year with approximately 8.28 million Japanese tourists traveling abroad from January to August – more than 60% of the total during the same period in 2019. This has raised hopes among many countries that they will see an increase in tourists from Japan.
During a press conference on Thursday, Hiroyuki Takahashi, chairperson of the Japan Association of Travel Agents (the organizer of the event), highlighted that “the challenge is how to revive overseas travel.” He emphasized that “the whole world is waiting for Japanese travelers.”
Tourism Expo Japan provides an opportunity for both domestic and international participants to showcase their offerings and explore potential collaborations amidst hopes for a revival in overseas travel by Japanese tourists.
