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— Dawit Hubtmariam
Brand USA will be hosting its first sales mission in Japan since Japan opened to tours in October. This month’s assignment comes as Japan, the largest U.S. travel market, slowly rebounds to 2019 levels.
Brand USA is the destination marketing organization in the United States responsible for promoting international inbound tourism to the country.
Delegates will also travel to South Korea, along with 35 US partners including Visit California, Destination DC, Hudson Yards and Hilton Worldwide. “We’re going to bring in a lot of American businesses,” said Staci Mellman, senior vice president of integrated marketing at Brand USA.
Before the outbreak, Japan was the fourth-largest U.S. travel market, with 3.8 million visitors. In March, the U.S. received about 112,000 Japanese tourists, down from 342,000 in March 2019, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office.
This year, the U.S. is expected to receive just 1.5 million Japanese tourists, less than 40% of the number it received in 2019. It will take until 2027 for the figure to reach 90 percent of 2019 levels, according to the China National Tourism Administration.
Peter van Berkel, president of the International Inbound Travel Association, said the slow recovery in tourism from Japan and other Asian markets is one reason why destinations in the western U.S. such as San Francisco have recovered more slowly than eastern U.S. destinations such as New York. President of Travalco Corporation.
In March, California tourism executives visited Japan with a delegation of state private sector leaders. The delegation discussed a range of business goals, including an agreement to boost inbound tourism.
The frequency of Japanese people traveling abroad is generally not as high as before. Some 675,000 Japanese traveled abroad in May, half the number in May 2019. “Whether they’re going to the U.S. or going around the world, they’re not really traveling,” said Gloria Lan, chief executive of the U.S. tour. That’s largely because Gen Z in Japan aren’t as interested in international travel as previous generations, she said.
Japanese tourists have traditionally been more risk-averse and cautious than other groups. Some 30% of Japanese travelers said they were less likely to travel to the U.S. after the U.S. lifted vaccination requirements for international travelers, according to a May Brand survey of U.S. travelers.
“They’re much more cautious,” said David Huang, president and owner of Canyon Coach Lines and National Park Express. “If a driver isn’t wearing a mask, then they don’t want to get in the car.”
Another factor limiting international travel by Japanese tourists is government incentives for domestic travel, Huang said. For example, the government has been providing subsidies in the form of discounts on transport and accommodation spending, which will continue throughout the summer.
In May, the Japan Travel Association and the Japan Tourism Organization announced plans to once again promote outbound travel to 24 destinations, one of which is the United States
Photo Credit: Photo Credit: Camila Rubio Varón on Unplash
