Japan hotels stays hit record high in 2024

In a report released on Friday, 31st January, the Japan Tourism Agency declared a record increase in overnight stays in the country throughout 2024.

The preliminary total number of overnight stays at accommodation facilities was 651.49 million, up by 5.5 percent from what was reported at the end of 2023.

The upsurge in foreign arrivals, particularly those booking accommodations at hotels and traditional inns, was noted as the primary driving factor for growth.

Foreign bookings accounted for 163.48 million, a 38.8 percent surge driven by the weakened yen.

Domestic bookings, however, were down by 2.3 percent in 2024, possibly signifying the end of the post-pandemic boom in domestic tourism.

Numbers from the fourth quarter of the year

As of end-December 2024, the total number of hotel stays hit 55.82 million, showing an increase of 6.3 percent from the same month a year earlier.

Foreign travellers made up 15.29 million of the total for the month.

Meanwhile, final figures for November 2024 show that stays booked by foreign travellers were up in 43 of Japan’s 47 prefectures.

Of these, Tottori to the west of the country showed the highest growth at 117 percent or 21,610 stays; Ishikawa in central Japan, came in second, reflecting 116 percent in terms of growth.