Number of stays at accommodations by foreigners in Japan 2014-2023

In 2023, the number of overnight stays at lodging facilities by international visitors in Japan amounted to about 114.34 million. The figure was on the rise during most of the surveyed period, until 2020 when the figure dropped significantly due to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of overnight stays is directly related to the number of inbound tourists. Due to the pandemic, the influx of inbound travelers was reduced to close to zero for a period of time, resulting in a very low number of overnight stays, before it fully recovered in 2023.

Accommodation expenditure for inbound tourists

Prior to the pandemic, lodging expenses by foreign tourists contributed approximately 20 percent to the revenue generated in the hotel industry in Japan. Expenditure on accommodation by international tourists was the most costly expense item on average, comprising about 34.6 percent of their overall travel expenditure. On average, visitors from western European states and Australia were most willing to pay for accommodation, with expenditure reaching around 150 thousand JPY per person per trip for the leading countries.

Which areas are the most popular?

In general, cities were preferred over rural destinations, with most overnight stays being recorded in the Kanto region (Tokyo area) and Kinki region (Osaka, Kyoto area). This was also reflected in the occupancy rates of lodging facilities, as ryokan (Japanese-style hotels), which tend to be in rural areas, had significantly lower figures than city hotels. The Western-style hotel was the most commonly utilized facility type by foreigners.