Japan Wants Vietnamese Travellers to Go Beyond Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka

Japan’s tourism industry is entering a new phase in 2026, with international visitor demand remaining exceptionally strong while authorities seek to address overtourism, spread visitors beyond major gateways and encourage travel during quieter periods.

The latest figures from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) show that Japan welcomed 3.44 million international visitors in July 2026, taking arrivals during the first seven months of the year to more than 24.5 million. The July result was the highest ever recorded for that month.

The numbers come after a record 2025, when Japan welcomed 42.68 million international visitors, surpassing the previous annual record by a substantial margin. The country’s challenge is therefore changing: from rebuilding inbound tourism to managing sustained growth.

Japan is looking beyond its best-known tourism gateways as it seeks to encourage more visitors from Vietnam to explore lesser-known destinations and travel during the country’s low seasons, according to Matsumoto Fumi, Executive Director of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Vietnam Office.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Paramita Sarkar, Journalist, Travel And Tour World (TTW), on the final day of ITE HCMC 2026, Matsumoto Fumi, Executive Director of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Vietnam Offic outlined JNTO Vietnam’s priorities for the Japanese market, the organisation’s cooperation with Vietnamese travel agencies and its efforts to promote regional destinations beyond the traditional Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka route.

The interview took place as ITE HCMC 2026 brought together tourism stakeholders and travel businesses, providing an opportunity for destinations and tourism organisations to engage with the Vietnamese outbound market.

Why is JNTO looking beyond Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka?

Matsumoto Fumi, Executive Director of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Vietnam Office indicated that one of JNTO Vietnam’s priorities is to encourage Vietnamese travellers to discover more local destinations in Japan rather than concentrating primarily on the country’s most established tourism gateways.

Tokyo and Osaka were specifically identified during the interview as destinations that are already well known among Vietnamese travellers. JNTO therefore wants to work with travel agencies in Vietnam to increase awareness of destinations that are less familiar to the market.

The strategy is significant because destination promotion can help broaden the geographical distribution of visitors. Rather than simply increasing awareness of Japan as a country, the approach focuses on introducing travellers to different regions and experiences across Japan.

Matsumoto explained that JNTO is working with travel agencies because organised travel remains an important channel for Vietnamese visitors travelling to Japan.

What are JNTO Vietnam’s priorities for 2026?

Matsumoto outlined three main purposes behind JNTO Vietnam’s activities.

The first is related to visitors, while the second focuses on promoting more local destinations in Japan and encouraging Vietnamese travellers to discover these areas. The third priority is encouraging Vietnamese visitors to travel to Japan during the low season.

The low-season objective is particularly relevant to Japan’s wider tourism management challenge. During the interview, Matsumoto acknowledged that Japan is already dealing with overtourism in some destinations.

Encouraging travel during less busy periods can therefore form part of a broader effort to distribute visitor demand more evenly throughout the year. However, the interview did not establish specific targets, visitor numbers or quantitative performance indicators for these objectives.

How will JNTO promote lesser-known Japanese destinations?

Matsumoto described three approaches for promoting local destinations through cooperation with Vietnamese travel agencies.

The first involves providing travel agencies with information about local destinations. This is intended to give agents greater knowledge of places that may not yet be prominent in the Vietnamese market.

The second approach involves organising familiarisation opportunities for travel agencies, including invitations for industry representatives to visit local destinations. Such visits can allow travel professionals to experience destinations directly and subsequently develop a better understanding of what they can offer travellers.

The third approach involves working with travel agencies on broader campaigns, including online promotion.

Together, these activities indicate a trade-focused strategy in which JNTO works through industry partners to increase destination awareness and potentially develop new travel products.

Why are Vietnamese travel agencies important to the strategy?

Matsumoto identified cooperation with travel agencies in Vietnam as JNTO’s first priority when discussing how the organisation plans to encourage travel to Japan.

She noted that obtaining a visa to visit Japan can be more difficult for Vietnamese travellers when compared with travelling through an organised tour arranged by a travel agency. The interview did not provide specific details about visa requirements or procedures, so no further interpretation can be drawn from that statement.

JNTO’s emphasis on travel agencies nevertheless demonstrates the importance the organisation places on the trade distribution network in Vietnam.

By giving agencies destination information, arranging familiarisation visits and developing promotional campaigns with them, JNTO can support travel sellers in presenting a wider selection of Japanese destinations to their customers.

Can regional tourism also help address overtourism?

The interview connected the promotion of lesser-known destinations with Japan’s overtourism concerns.

Matsumoto agreed that Japan is struggling with overtourism, while the discussion then turned towards encouraging travellers to move beyond the most familiar routes.

This does not mean that promoting regional destinations alone will solve overtourism. The interview provided no evidence to support such a conclusion. Instead, the strategy can be understood as an effort to broaden the distribution of tourism demand by encouraging visitors to consider destinations outside the established gateways.

The focus on low-season travel adds another dimension, potentially helping destinations attract visitors at times when demand is lower.

What did Matsumoto say about sustainable tourism?

Sustainability was also raised during the interview, including the broader tourism industry’s focus on sustainable tourism and reducing carbon emissions.

Matsumoto said that JNTO Vietnam did not currently have a particular sustainability campaign to highlight. The transcript also records a discussion about Vietnamese travellers’ current priorities when choosing destinations.

Importantly, the interview did not identify a specific JNTO Vietnam sustainability initiative, carbon-reduction target or campaign. Those details should therefore not be attributed to the organisation on the basis of this interview alone.

The absence of a specific campaign mentioned in the interview does not establish that sustainability is absent from Japan’s wider tourism policies. It only reflects what was stated during this particular conversation.

Which international markets is JNTO targeting?

The discussion also moved beyond Vietnam to JNTO’s broader international market strategy.

Matsumoto said the focus was not only on Vietnamese visitors and referred to three new markets where JNTO wanted to put more effort into promotion. The transcript identifies Stockholm, another location whose name is unclear in the recording, and Dubai.

Because one destination name in the recording is unclear, it would be inaccurate to identify it definitively without verification from the interviewee or an official written response.

Matsumoto subsequently referred to the three markets in the context of Europe, America and the Middle East. Dubai was clearly identified as the Middle Eastern market during the conversation.

This suggests an intention to broaden promotional efforts geographically, although the interview did not provide numerical targets, campaign budgets or projected visitor volumes for these markets.

What does this strategy mean for Japan’s regional destinations?

The interview points towards a tourism strategy centred on diversification rather than simply concentrating on Japan’s most established destinations.

For the Vietnamese market, JNTO Vietnam wants travel agencies to have stronger knowledge of regional destinations, experience those places through familiarisation visits and participate in online promotional campaigns.

At the same time, the organisation wants to encourage travel during Japan’s low season.

The approach reflects a wider industry discussion around visitor distribution and destination management. Yet the interview makes clear that the strategy remains centred on promotion, trade cooperation and traveller awareness rather than providing a detailed policy framework for managing overtourism.

What comes next for JNTO Vietnam?

Matsumoto’s comments at ITE HCMC 2026 provide a snapshot of JNTO Vietnam’s priorities rather than a comprehensive roadmap.

The organisation is seeking closer cooperation with Vietnamese travel agencies, greater exposure for lesser-known Japanese destinations and stronger demand during low-season periods. It is also looking towards selected international markets, including Dubai, while the interview indicates interest across Europe and America.

For Vietnam, the strategy could give travel agencies more opportunities to develop itineraries that move beyond Japan’s established tourism circuit. For Japan, it represents an effort to broaden the visitor experience and geographical spread of tourism.

The interview also highlights an important limitation: JNTO Vietnam did not present a specific sustainability campaign or detailed numerical targets during the conversation.

As Japan continues to attract international visitors, the ability to distribute tourism across destinations and seasons will remain an important issue. JNTO Vietnam’s approach, as described by Matsumoto, is focused on using industry partnerships and destination promotion to encourage travellers to see more of Japan beyond its most familiar names.

Why Is Japan Tourism Growing So Rapidly?

Japan’s international tourism recovery has developed into a much broader growth story, supported by strong demand from Asia, Europe, North America and other international markets.

JNTO reported that 21.08 million international visitors arrived during the first half of 2026. Although June arrivals declined year on year, several individual markets still recorded their highest June figures, demonstrating that demand remains broad-based.

July reinforced that trend, with approximately 3.44 million visitors entering Japan during the month. JNTO reported particularly strong performance from markets including South Korea, Indonesia, Mexico and Taiwan.

Japan’s appeal is also not confined to a small number of source markets. JNTO’s 2026 overseas market research found that Japan ranked first as the destination respondents most wanted to visit or visit next in 18 of 22 surveyed markets.

That creates a strong foundation for continued inbound tourism, but it also increases pressure on the country’s most popular destinations.

Is Japan Moving Beyond Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka?

Yes. One of the most important developments in Japan’s tourism strategy is the stronger emphasis on regional destinations.

Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka remain internationally recognised tourism hubs, but Japan is increasingly looking to distribute visitors across a much wider geographical area.

This issue was highlighted during an exclusive interview with Matsumoto Fumi, Executive Director of the JNTO Vietnam Office, conducted by Paramita Sarkar, Journalist, Travel And Tour World (TTW), on the final day of ITE HCMC 2026.

Matsumoto explained that one of JNTO Vietnam’s priorities is to promote more local destinations in Japan and encourage Vietnamese travellers to discover places beyond the traditional tourism circuit.

The strategy is particularly relevant as Japan seeks to ensure that the benefits generated by international tourism reach regional communities rather than remaining concentrated in a limited number of major destinations.

How Is JNTO Targeting Vietnamese Travellers?

JNTO Vietnam is placing significant emphasis on cooperation with travel agencies in Vietnam.

Matsumoto described cooperation with Vietnamese travel agencies as the organisation’s first priority. The strategy involves three main approaches: supplying destination information, arranging familiarisation opportunities and developing promotional campaigns with travel-industry partners.

The first involves providing Vietnamese travel agencies with information about lesser-known Japanese destinations.

The second involves inviting travel professionals to visit regional destinations so that they can gain first-hand knowledge of the places and potentially incorporate them into future itineraries.

The third involves working with agencies on online promotional campaigns.

This trade-led approach is designed to give Vietnamese travel sellers the knowledge and resources needed to introduce customers to a broader range of Japanese destinations.

Can Low-Season Tourism Help Japan Manage Overtourism?

Low-season travel has become another important component of JNTO Vietnam’s strategy.

Matsumoto identified encouraging Vietnamese visitors to travel to Japan during the low season as one of the organisation’s objectives.

The reasoning is straightforward: if visitor demand can be spread more evenly throughout the year, destinations may face less intense pressure during peak travel periods.

The strategy is particularly relevant because Japan is already dealing with overtourism in some locations. The country’s tourism authorities have recognised visitor concentration and tourism-related pressure on local communities as significant challenges.

However, low-season promotion should not be regarded as a standalone solution to overtourism. It is one component of a broader destination-management approach involving regional dispersal, infrastructure, visitor management and sustainable tourism.

What Is Japan Doing About Overtourism?

Japan’s tourism policy increasingly combines growth with destination management.

The country’s tourism authorities have retained an ambitious 2030 target of 60 million international visitors and ¥15 trillion in inbound tourism spending.

At the same time, the national tourism framework for 2026-2030 places greater emphasis on regional destinations, sustainable tourism and managing visitor concentration.

The policy direction reflects a fundamental change in Japan’s tourism environment.

When international arrivals were recovering from the pandemic, the primary challenge was rebuilding demand. With annual arrivals now exceeding 40 million, the focus is increasingly on managing the consequences of that demand.

This includes encouraging visitors to stay overnight in regional areas, promoting destinations outside the busiest tourism centres and developing tourism products based around specific interests.

Is Japan Targeting Higher-Value Tourism?

Japan is also seeking to diversify the types of tourism it attracts.

JNTO’s 2026-2030 marketing strategy identifies high-value tourism, adventure tourism and gastronomy tourism among the areas receiving greater promotional attention.

The objective is not simply to increase visitor numbers but to develop tourism segments capable of generating greater economic value.

MICE tourism is another component of the strategy, with JNTO seeking to strengthen international meetings and incentive travel, including opportunities in regional destinations.

This creates another potential pathway for regional tourism development because business events can bring visitors to destinations that may not feature prominently in conventional leisure itineraries.

What About Sustainability in Japan Tourism?

Sustainability is increasingly embedded in Japan’s wider tourism policy, although the JNTO Vietnam interview provided a more limited picture.

When asked about sustainability and carbon emissions, Matsumoto said that JNTO Vietnam did not have a particular sustainability campaign at that moment.

That statement should be viewed specifically in the context of JNTO Vietnam’s activities rather than as a description of Japan’s entire tourism policy.

At national level, Japan’s 2026-2030 tourism framework includes sustainable tourism as a major policy direction. Sustainability is being considered alongside regional development, visitor management, transport and the long-term economic benefits of tourism.

The distinction is important because Japan’s tourism strategy is broader than the campaigns currently being implemented in an individual overseas market.

Which International Markets Are Important for Japan?

Japan’s tourism expansion is not being built around Vietnam alone.

During the interview, Matsumoto referred to three markets where JNTO wanted to put more promotional effort, including Dubai and markets associated with Europe and America. One destination name in the recording is unclear, so it should not be identified without confirmation.

JNTO’s broader international marketing strategy is already structured around multiple overseas markets, reflecting Japan’s increasingly diversified inbound visitor base.

For Japan, this diversification can reduce dependence on individual markets while creating opportunities to develop different tourism products for different traveller segments.

What Does the Future Hold for Japan Tourism?

Japan enters the remainder of 2026 with a tourism industry that is simultaneously experiencing extraordinary demand and facing the management challenges created by that success.

Record visitor numbers demonstrate the country’s continued global appeal. Yet the next stage of tourism development is increasingly about distribution rather than simply growth.

Japan wants international travellers to discover regional destinations, travel outside peak periods and participate in higher-value tourism experiences.

For the Vietnamese market, JNTO is using travel-industry partnerships, destination familiarisation trips and digital campaigns to support that transition.

The strategy outlined by Matsumoto at ITE HCMC 2026 therefore fits into a much larger national transformation. Japan’s tourism story in 2026 is no longer simply about attracting more visitors. It is about determining where those visitors travel, when they arrive, what experiences they purchase and how tourism growth can be shared more widely across the country.

With international arrivals continuing at historically high levels, those questions are likely to become increasingly important for Japan’s tourism industry through the remainder of the decade.

Image: JNTO