Four-days Tourism EXPO Japan (TEJ) 2024 opened on September 26, 2024 at Tokyo Big Sight, organizing symposiums, seminars, exhibitions and business meetings, At the opening ceremony, Masanobu Komoda, TEJ Organizing Committee Chairman (Chairman of Japan Travel and Tourism Association) said of the recent heavy rain disaster on the Noto Peninsula, which is in the midst of recovery from the Noto Peninsula earthquake. , “The tourism industry will work together to support the recovery effort.”
Although overseas travel from Japan has been slow to recover, exhibitors from overseas at this year’s EXPO accounted for more than 40% of the total, exceeding the number of domestic travel exhibitors.Komoda said, “I feel that expectations for Japan's outbound travel market are growing. I hope that TEJ will be an opportunity to further revitalize the market.”
Masanobu Komoda, TEJ Organizing Committee Chairman
Fumio Kishida, Japanese prime minister, sent a video message, in which he said, “We will work to attract visitors to regional areas and prevent over-tourism so that the benefits of tourism can be spread throughout the country, We will create sustainable tourist destinations that are 'good to live in, good to visit, and good to host' and improve the productivity and profitability of the tourism industry.”
Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida
Hiroyuki Takahashi, Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) Chairman, said of the slow recovery of outbound travel demand in Japan, at a news conference, “With the world's environment changing dramatically and travelers' attitudes evolving, I don't think we can make a comeback by continuing as we have been. Overseas travel needs to be remade.”
Referring to this year’s EXPO theme of ‘Creating a New Travel Journey,’ he added, “How can we promote overseas travel that is in line with the times? It is necessary to remake it into a new form of travel and appeal to the market.”
Hiroyuki Takahashi, Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) Chairman(center)
Tourism challenges are the same worldwide
At the keynote panel discussion with a theme of ‘Expansion of tourist exchanges,’ Shunpei Shimada, CEO of Satoyume, a tourism consultation firm, said, “Regional issues become tourism resources. The images and stories of local people trying to solve them will impress people outside the region and make them think, 'I want to be a part of it.’”
Eduardo Santander. ETC CEO/Executive Director said of over-tourism, “It happens not only in Europe but also in Japan and even in Africa. The countermeasures are inevitable. "How do we measure the optimal capacity? We need to think about how to measure local infrastructure.”
keynote panel discussion
At the TEJ Tourism Ministers' Meeting, which brought together tourism ministers and key people from nine countries and four tourism-related organizations, the issues recognized by each country and organization were discussed, as well as tourism initiatives.
They agreed that tourism should be rebuilt to increase young travelers. Also, to build a new tourism, they expected that young generation will join tourism developments as players of regenerative tourism.
TEJ Tourism Ministers' Meeting
Foreign buyers look for new tourism experiences in Japan
VISIT JAPAN Travel & MICE Mart, an inbound travel business meeting, was held, joined by 280 foreign buyers and 300 sellers and organizations from Japan.
Asumi Gamo, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) President, said, “The enthusiasm of foreign buyers is very high. Even if some buyers cancel their participation, the slots are quickly filled.”
This year's number of participants is approaching the number of participants (326 buyers / 366 sellers) at VJTM held in Osaka in 2019 before COVID-19. Compared to last year, the number of buyers has increased by 7 companies from the Nordic region (4 companies last year) and 32 companies in the Thai market (18 companies last year).
VISIT JAPAN Travel & MICE Mart business meeting
Actress Tomoko Yamaguchi, an EXPO special supporter
Europe booth
US exapnds exhibition space.
Hokkaido booth
JAL features Shohei Otani
Tourism SDGs by JTB、Booking.com and Rakuten Travel
