Survey on the Actual Impact of Overtourism on Inbound Tourism | 87% Experience it On-site, About Half Say 'Difficult to Cope with Increased Inbound Visitors'

Reelu Inc. (Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Shuyu Konno), which operates a matching service for foreign language-speaking personnel, conducted a survey targeting companies primarily in the tourism and travel industries that handle inbound tourism, focusing on the actual impact of overtourism on their operations.

The number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2024 reached a record high of approximately 36.87 million, and in the first half of 2025 alone, it has already reached 21.51 million. (Number of Foreign Visitors to Japan (2024 & H1 2025): World Economic Forum / JNTO) While inbound demand is rapidly increasing, overtourism is becoming more severe. The government has allocated 15.82 billion yen in the FY2024 supplementary budget for overtourism countermeasures (FY2024: Japan Tourism Agency Related Supplementary Budget), indicating a nationwide response is required.

This survey revealed that while 87% of businesses experience overtourism on-site, approximately half of them responded that it would be 'difficult or impossible' to cope if the number of inbound visitors further increases, indicating that the on-site acceptance capacity is not keeping pace with the expanding demand.

Survey Overview

• Survey Name: Survey on the Actual Impact of Overtourism on Inbound Tourism

• Survey Method: Questionnaire survey

• Target Audience: Businesses primarily in the tourism and travel industries that handle inbound tourism

• Survey Period: March 13th to March 18th

• Valid Responses: 23

Detailed Survey Results (by Question)

Q1. Do you experience overtourism on-site?