In response to the growing challenges of overtourism in Japan, Inside Travel Group and InsideJapan are launching a new ‘under-tourism’ initiative – an overtourism strategy aimed at balancing visitor distribution, easing pressure on hotspots, and propelling more sustainable travel.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of InsideJapan offering small group tours and self-guided cultural adventures. Inside Travel Group Co-Founder Simon King reflects on how the landscape of travel to Japan has drastically changed over the past two and a half decades.
“Japan, once a niche destination with just 4 million visitors when InsideJapan started in the year 2000, has seen a 600% increase in tourism, welcoming 36 million visitors in 2024. By 2030, that number is projected to rise to 60 million,” King said.
“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 80% of travellers visit only 10% of destinations – and we want to change that. There are more people than ever visiting the same small number of places.”
King pointed to the example of 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 iconic photos of Mt. Fuji, disturbing local communities in the process.
To address these challenges, InsideJapan is spearheading a new strategic ‘under-tourism’ initiative aimed at easing the burden of overtourism and managing its impacts. In 2024, the Japan specialists sent travellers to 219 different destinations across all 47 prefectures on self-guided cultural adventures and on small group tours.
“We’ve helped thousands of people discover Japan over the years, championing a type of travel that goes beneath the surface and immerses visitors in local life and culture,” King said. “With ever-growing visitor numbers, we believe part of the solution to overtourism lies in dispersing travel to lesser-known parts of the country.
“We have the unique ability to guide our visitors to these regions. This initiative will not only alleviate the pressure the country’s most visited sites but will also foster economic growth in underexplored areas. Of course, it is crucial that this dispersal is managed thoughtfully to prevent shifting the problem elsewhere – and that’s where our sustainability team comes in.”
Inside Travel Group Global Sustainability Manager Rob Moran said driving visitation to under-visited regions lies at the heart of the under-tourism strategy, with five focus regions selected for 2025.
“The five regions for 2025 are 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,” Moran said.
“Our strategy considers both carrying capacity, which relates to the physical limits of destinations, and social licence to operate, which takes into account community perceptions, cultural and social impacts, and harmony between visitors and residents.”
InsideJapan has selected it’s five regions based on requirement that they are:
- Located outside of Japan’s top five prefectures (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hokkaido, and Fukuoka).
- Attracting fewer than 10% of visitors (according to government statistics).
- Operating well below their perceived carrying capacity.
- Offering ample room night availability.
- Easily accessible with strong public transport infrastructure.
- Approved and supported by local tourism boards.
- Providing an authentic cultural experience.
Together with local regions and Destination Management Organisations (DMOs), InsideJapan will enhance its product in each of the regions throughout 2025, encouraging travellers to combine one or more of these locations into their cultural adventure trip in Japan.
As part of this initiative, InsideJapan has also reduced the prices of off-peak and shoulder-season Small Group Tours by up to 15% to help disperse visitors both seasonally and geographically.
“This is all part of our wider strategy which includes using our destination insight to suggest alterative districts and offer travel tips together with cultural advice to ensure a better experience all round, in places that are beginning to suffer from overtourism,” King said.
“However, it’s not only about addressing overtourism; it’s about showcasing the uniqueness of Japan’s culture through beautiful places and local communities, creating amazing holidays for our clients.
“We ask agents and customers to trust us as Japan travel specialists – we’ll take you places you’ve never heard of and reveal a side of Japan that will become the highlight of your trip. We’re confident it will leave you wanting more – just like it did for all of us at InsideJapan.”
A dedicated microsite, highlighting the places and a raft of experiences, will be launched soon. For more information on InsideJapan and to book an off-peak SGT at a reduced price, visit here.
