Japan approves plan for overtourism measures in 100 areas by 2030

Japan’s government approved a new basic tourism plan on Friday, aiming to expand overtourism countermeasures to 100 regions by 2030 the first numerical target for the issue.

Officials noted that overcrowding in popular spots is hurting residents’ quality of life, even as foreign visitors drive economic gains. So far, 47 areas like Kyoto have launched feedback-based efforts.

This five-year plan, spanning fiscal 2026–2030, upholds goals of 60 million inbound tourists and 15 trillion yen ($94 billion) in spending by decade’s end. Overtourism fixes focus on reducing local road jams, visitor limits, better regional transit to disperse crowds, and potential dual-pricing rules for public facilities favoring locals.

It also eyes hiking average tourist spend from 229,000 yen (2025) to 250,000 yen (2030), plus boosting repeat visits from 27.61 million to 40 million.

In 2025, arrivals hit a record 42.7 million with 9.5 trillion yen spent; February logged 3.47 million visitors, estimates show.