To reduce overtourism at popular destinations on the “Golden Route”, Japan is implementing a new strategy to expand the range of experiences for Vietnamese tourists. By working closely with reputable travel companies, the Japanese government is developing unique travel itineraries that offer new and in-depth discoveries about Japanese culture and nature.
In recent times, the remarkable growth in the number of Vietnamese tourists to Japan is a welcome sign, however, behind it lies a significant challenge: up to 80% of tourists are those who set foot in the Land of the Rising Sun for the first time. This leads to an inevitable consequence, which is the excessive focus on the "Golden Route" - a classic tourist route known to many people. As a result, current tourism products mainly revolve around this familiar journey, causing deep concerns about the situation of tourist overload in major cities and famous tourist attractions.
Japan is a popular destination in East Asia.
This over-concentration not only puts pressure on tourism infrastructure but also reduces the tourist experience when having to jostle with crowds. Recognizing this problem, Japan is making efforts to diversify its destinations, actively exploiting and promoting "hidden gems" outside the crowded "Golden Route". The goal is to bring visitors new, unique experiences and reduce pressure on traditional destinations.
Japan's "Golden Route" sites become overcrowded with tourists
The "Golden Route" has long been a symbol of Japanese tourism, a journey not to be missed for those who want to fully explore the quintessential beauty of culture, history and nature here. From bustling and modern Tokyo, visitors will admire the majestic beauty of Mount Fuji, the sacred symbol of the country. Next is the ancient capital of Kyoto, where the marks of time are preserved through ancient temples and pagodas, imbued with traditional cultural identity. Finally, the journey will take visitors to Osaka, a youthful and dynamic city, where unique culinary and entertainment cultures converge. However, the beauty of Japan is not only contained in the "Golden Route". There are still many other wonderful lands waiting for visitors to explore.
Japan has long been a dream destination, occupying the top position in the list of choices of Vietnamese tourists when thinking about East Asia tourism. However, a noteworthy fact is that nearly 99% of Vietnamese tourists coming to the Land of the Rising Sun for the first time choose the familiar journey along the "Golden Route" with famous destinations. Only after having initial experiences, tourists returning to Japan begin to search for and explore new lands, outside this traditional route.
Japanese spring is marked by blooming cherry blossoms attracting Vietnamese tourists to Japan.
Recognizing this issue, Mr. Uchida Shusuke, Deputy Chief Representative of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), shared about new orientations in 2025. Accordingly, Japan aims to promote sustainable tourism, increase tourism spending and especially attract tourists to neighboring localities, lands with much untapped potential.
To realize this goal, JNTO has been implementing a series of synchronous and effective measures. First, the agency has increased the promotion of unique tours, introducing accommodation with strong local identity, thereby attracting tourists to new lands. In particular, the Osaka Kansai Expo 2025 is expected to be a key event, creating a strong attraction for international tourists, including Vietnamese tourists. In addition, JNTO also promotes tourism stimulus programs in Japan during the low season, to reduce pressure during the peak season and bring tourists more relaxing experiences.
Japan is making efforts to diversify travel experiences for Vietnamese tourists, avoiding over-focusing on the "Golden Route" that has become overloaded.
In addition to the familiar "Golden Route", Japan also possesses countless attractive destinations, promising to bring unique and unforgettable experiences to Vietnamese tourists. Lands such as Chugoku, Kyushu, Hokkaido... with majestic natural beauty, rich cultural heritage and unique festivals, will be ideal choices for those who want to explore a completely different Japan.
For example, the Setouchi Art Festival 2025 will be an impressive visual art feast, the old town of Takehara is steeped in history, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park evokes painful but meaningful memories, the Adachi Museum of Art is a place to honor the beauty of Japanese art, the ancient castle of Matsue and the Shinto shrine of Izumo Taisha are sacred spiritual destinations. All these places promise to bring visitors impressive, profound experiences and especially not too crowded.
Within the framework of the "Japan Tourism Seminar 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City" recently held, Ms. Matsumoto, Chief Representative of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) in Vietnam, shared impressive statistics on the strong growth of the Vietnamese tourism market to Japan. Accordingly, in 2024, the Land of the Rising Sun welcomed 621,100 Vietnamese tourists, marking a spectacular growth of 8.2% over the same period last year, and breaking the record set in 2023. This growth momentum continued to be maintained strongly in January 2025, when the number of Vietnamese visitors to Japan increased by 13% over the same period, reaching 50,400.
These telling figures have pushed Vietnam to 10th place on the global tourism map and 4th in Southeast Asia in terms of the number of tourists to Japan. However, Ms. Matsumoto also pointed out a noteworthy situation, which is the excessive concentration of Vietnamese tourists during peak tourist seasons, especially cherry blossom season (March-April) and summer vacation (July-August). In addition, the majority of tourists still choose traditional tours, exploring familiar destinations, leading to overcrowding at some famous locations.
