What travellers want, in numbers
This page sets out tourism figures for the world, Japan, Saga Prefecture and Karatsu City from official statistics and survey reports, focusing on what travellers want to do at their destinations and which sustainable actions they want to take. In a survey of people with overseas travel experience in 12 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, the United States and Australia, 74% said they value sustainability initiatives when choosing destinations or accommodation (FY2024), and the action most often chosen was reducing waste (FY2022).
Karatsu Farm & Food compiled this page as part of the Karatsu Data Bank. It adds no conclusions or evaluations and sets out only the figures and statements found in the sources. Values we calculated are marked "our calculation". Figures from different survey years or populations are shown in separate tables rather than compared. No values were read off charts. Figures on travellers' intentions are quoted, with attribution, from surveys by the Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) and the Japan Travel and Tourism Association (JTBF) (Source: Development Bank of Japan Inc. and Japan Travel and Tourism Association). Most sources are in Japanese, and the English wording is our translation; the original text prevails.
| Reason | East Asia | South-East Asia | US, Europe, Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| To spend "time doing nothing" and recover body and mind | 81% | 77% | 57% |
| To widen social ties through contact with strangers and other cultures | 59% | 78% | 72% |
| To learn deeply about history, tradition and local climate and culture | 72% | 87% | 87% |
Why travellers want to visit rural Japan
In the FY2025 DBJ-JTBF survey (DBJ-JTBF FY2025), the most common reason for wanting to visit tourist destinations in rural Japan was "to enjoy natural scenery" (90%), followed by "to visit restaurants serving local dishes and ingredients" (89%) and "to satisfy curiosity by encountering unfamiliar cultures, customs and environments" (87%).
There are regional differences. "To spend time doing nothing and recover body and mind" was chosen by 81% in East Asia but 57% among US, European and Australian residents. The report says the latter appear to prefer being active to taking things slowly.
| Activity | Asian residents | US, European and Australian residents |
|---|---|---|
| Enjoy hot springs | 64% | 91% |
| Visit natural sights | 62% | 86% |
| Enjoy snowy landscapes | 54% | 82% |
What travellers want to do in rural areas
The top things travellers wanted to do at rural destinations were eating local dishes (51%), visiting natural sights (48%), enjoying hot springs (47%) and tasting local seafood, meat, vegetables and fruit (42%). Cycling (14%), skiing and winter sports (15%) and mountain climbing or hiking (16%) ranked low (DBJ-JTBF FY2025).
Many respondents had not decided where they would do these things. Among those who want to visit natural sights, 86% of US, European and Australian residents and 62% of Asian residents had not decided on a place. The report suggests that information on what individual rural areas offer may not be reaching travellers, and also that "every region has room to attract visitors".
| Group | Standard experience, no extra charge | Pay 20% more for a high-quality experience | Pay 50% or more for a very special experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| All (n=4,001) | 47% | 48% | 5% |
| Asian residents (n=3,085) | 48% | 47% | 5% |
| US, European and Australian residents (n=916) | 44% | 50% | 6% |
| Lower-income group (n=1,159) | 54% | 42% | 4% |
| Middle-income group (n=1,378) | 47% | 48% | 4% |
| Higher-income group (n=1,464) | 41% | 51% | 7% |
Paying more for higher-quality experiences
Among people who intend to visit Japan, 48% would pay 20% more than the normal price for a special, high-quality experience unique to Japan, and 5% would pay 50% or more for a very special and memorable experience (DBJ-JTBF FY2025). The report says the share willing to pay extra rises with income.
| Rank | Asian residents | US, European and Australian residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reduce waste (33%) | Reduce waste (23%) |
| 2 | Buy local specialities (25%) | Buy goods and services from local businesses at fair prices (20%) |
| 3 | Choose low-CO2 transport with the environment in mind (22%) | Buy local specialities (20%) |
| 4 | Buy goods and services from local businesses at fair prices (21%) | Use restaurants serving local or organic food (17%) |
| 5 | Take part in local festivals and events (20%) | Take part in local festivals and events (17%) |
| 6 | Try local traditional crafts (20%) | Do not buy imitations of traditional crafts (17%) |
| 7 | Use restaurants serving local or organic food (20%) |
Which sustainable actions travellers want to take
In the FY2022 DBJ-JTBF survey (DBJ-JTBF FY2022), reducing waste was the sustainable action most often chosen for overseas trips by both Asian residents (33%) and US, European and Australian residents (23%). In Asia it was followed by buying local specialities (25%) and choosing low-CO2 transport (22%); among US, European and Australian residents, by buying goods and services from local businesses at fair prices (20%) and buying local specialities (20%).
In this survey, "sustainability initiatives" means efforts to protect and contribute to local nature and biodiversity, traditions and culture, and the local economy and community. The full list of shares for this question appears in the FY2022 edition; the FY2024 and FY2025 editions show, among other things, the gap between what people want to do and what they have done.
| Survey year | Value | Somewhat value | Total (our calculation) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2022 (n=6,307) | 32% | 40% | 72% |
| FY2023 (n=7,414) | 32% | 39% | 71% |
| FY2024 (n=7,796) | 36% | 38% | 74% |
| Survey year | Agree | Somewhat agree | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2019 (n=6,276) | 15% | 28% | 43% |
| FY2024 (n=7,796) | 30% | 33% | 63% |
How many value sustainability, and paying to protect destinations
In the FY2024 survey (DBJ-JTBF FY2024), 74% valued or somewhat valued sustainability initiatives when choosing destinations or accommodation abroad. The report notes that this share has stayed high, at around 70%, for several years.
63% supported paying money to ease congestion at, or protect, tourism resources and facilities, about 20 points more than the 43% in FY2019. The most common problem respondents had experienced or heard of on trips to Japan was crowding at tourist sites and facilities: 32% in FY2024 and 30% in FY2019.
The gap between intention and action
The FY2024 edition asked about each action both as something respondents want to do and something they have done, and shows the difference (DBJ-JTBF FY2024). The largest gaps are buying goods and services from local businesses at fair prices (4.3 points), visiting at quieter times to avoid crowds (3.6 points), using tourist facilities that promote energy saving or renewable energy (3.5 points) and taking part in local festivals and events (3.5 points). The report says the gap is especially large for items related to local communities.
Conversely, declining linen changes (-2.2 points) and amenities (-1.9 points) at accommodation and not buying imitations of traditional crafts (-1.4 points) are done more than people say they intend to.
| Item | JPY 1 million or more (n=122) | Under JPY 1 million (n=2,401) |
|---|---|---|
| Value sustainability initiatives | 89% | 80% |
| Support paying to maintain destinations | 87% | 68% |
| Done before: reduce waste | 33% | 38% |
| Done before: buy local specialities | 30% | 30% |
| Done before: choose low-CO2 transport | 28% | 20% |
| Done before: choose licensed tour guides | 21% | 13% |
| Done before: use carbon offset products | 16% | 9% |
Travellers who spend more
The FY2025 edition (DBJ-JTBF FY2025) compares travellers who spent JPY 1 million or more in Japan with those who spent less. 89% and 80% respectively value sustainability initiatives, and 87% and 68% support paying to maintain destinations. Among past actions, the higher-spending group more often chose low-CO2 transport (28%), licensed tour guides (21%) and carbon offset products (16%), while reducing waste (33% vs 38%) and declining amenities were more common in the lower-spending group.
| Item | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| International tourist arrivals worldwide (2025, estimate) | 1.52 billion (up 4%) | UN Tourism |
| International tourism receipts worldwide (2025, provisional) | USD 1.9 trillion (up 5%) | UN Tourism |
| Arrivals in Asia and the Pacific (2025) | 331 million (up 6%; 9% below 2019) | UN Tourism |
| Visitor arrivals to Japan (2025, final) | 42,683,301 (up 15.8%) | Japan National Tourism Organization |
| Visitor arrivals to Japan (2019) | 31,882,049 | Japan National Tourism Organization |
Travellers worldwide and to Japan
According to UN Tourism, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) reached an estimated 1.52 billion in 2025, up 4% (UN Tourism). International tourism receipts were a provisional USD 1.9 trillion. Asia and the Pacific received 331 million, still 9% below 2019. Japan received 42,683,301 overseas visitors in 2025, up 15.8% (Japan National Tourism Organization, final figures).
| Category | Guest nights | vs 2019 | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| All guests | 2,356,860 | -15.9% | +0.5% |
| Japanese guests | 2,105,260 | -13.8% | -0.5% |
| Foreign guests | 251,600 | -30.0% | +9.7% |
| Country or region | Guest nights | Share (our calculation) |
|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 82,230 | 34.2% |
| Taiwan | 48,680 | 20.3% |
| China | 40,040 | 16.7% |
| Hong Kong | 22,420 | 9.3% |
| United States | 8,700 | 3.6% |
Overnight stays in Saga Prefecture
The Japan Tourism Agency's Overnight Travel Statistics Survey (Japan Tourism Agency) records 2,356,860 guest nights in Saga Prefecture in 2025, of which 251,600 were by foreign guests. Foreign guest nights were up 9.7% on the previous year and down 30.0% on 2019. Foreign guests accounted for about 10.7% of guest nights (our calculation), compared with 27.2% nationally. Saga's room occupancy rate was 52.4%, 34th of 47 prefectures.
By country or region, South Korea was the largest source with 82,230 guest nights, followed by Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and the United States (Japan Tourism Agency tables).
| Year | Total visitors | Day visitors | Overnight guests (nights) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4,144,000 | ||
| 2023 | 3,897,000 | ||
| 2024 | 3,756,000 | 3,370,000 | 386,000 |
| Year | Visitors (thousand) | Day | Overnight | Tourism spending (JPY thousand) | Per visitor (JPY) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 6,865.8 | 6,398.3 | 467.5 | 27,558,693 | 4,014 |
| 2019 | 3,896.0 | 3,311.6 | 584.4 | 23,809,520 | 6,111 |
| 2020 | 2,089.9 | 1,757.6 | 332.3 | 16,137,523 | 7,722 |
| 2021 | 1,993.8 | 1,706.1 | 287.7 | 14,697,043 | 7,371 |
| 2022 | 2,942.4 | 2,497.8 | 444.6 | 22,673,214 | 7,706 |
| Indicator | Current value | Target (by March 2028) |
|---|---|---|
| Guest nights by Japanese visitors | 419,600 | 500,000 |
| Guest nights by overseas visitors | 29,555 | 50,000 |
| Rate of travel between areas within the city (measured by GPS) | 1-7% | 3-9% |
Visitors to Karatsu City
Saga Prefecture's annual report (Saga Prefecture annual report) puts total visitors to Karatsu City in 2024 at 3.756 million, down 3.6% on the previous year, of which 3.370 million were day visitors and 386,000 overnight guest nights. The report is based on smartphone location data and states that its figures cannot simply be compared with the old tourism trend survey (conducted up to 2022) and that overseas visitors are not measured. The old survey figures are therefore shown in a separate table (Saga Prefecture tourism trend surveys).
Karatsu City's tourism destination management strategy plan, 2025 edition (Karatsu City), sets targets of raising guest nights by Japanese visitors from 419,600 to 500,000 and by overseas visitors from 29,555 to 50,000. The plan states that about half of overseas guest nights are by visitors from South Korea and about 80% by visitors from Asia. Its guest-night figures are the city's own estimates from a survey of accommodation in the city, separate from the prefectural report.
| Standard or scheme | What the source states | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GSTC Criteria | Four pillars: sustainable management; socioeconomic impacts; cultural impacts; environmental impacts (including consumption of resources, reducing pollution, and conserving biodiversity and landscapes) | GSTC |
| Japan Sustainable Tourism Standard for Destinations (JSTS-D) | Established by the Japan Tourism Agency in June 2020 as guidelines based on international standards | Japan Tourism Agency |
| Areas using the JSTS-D logo mark | No area or organisation in Saga Prefecture is listed as of 2 October 2026. The other seven prefectures of Kyushu and Okinawa (Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Okinawa) each have entries | Japan Tourism Agency list |
Standards for sustainable tourism
The international criteria for sustainable tourism set by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) are arranged in four pillars: sustainable management, socioeconomic impacts, cultural impacts and environmental impacts (GSTC). The Japan Tourism Agency established the Japan Sustainable Tourism Standard for Destinations (JSTS-D), based on international standards, in June 2020 (Japan Tourism Agency). No area or organisation in Saga Prefecture appears in the list of JSTS-D logo users as of 2 October 2026 (Japan Tourism Agency list).
| Tax | Karatsu City and Saga Prefecture | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bathing tax | JPY 150 per person per night for overnight bathers and JPY 50 per person per day for day bathers. Karatsu City uses the entire amount to fund tourism promotion. Amounts allocated: JPY 16.792 million in FY2021, JPY 21.914 million in FY2022 and JPY 22.931 million in FY2023 | Karatsu City |
| Accommodation tax | Not listed for Saga Prefecture or Karatsu City in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications list of non-statutory taxes (as of January 2026) | Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications |
Taxes related to tourism
Karatsu City's bathing tax is JPY 150 per person per night for overnight bathers and JPY 50 per person per day for day bathers, and the city uses the entire amount to fund tourism promotion (Karatsu City). No accommodation tax for Saga Prefecture or Karatsu City appears in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications list of non-statutory taxes in force (as of January 2026) (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications).
Tourism and greenhouse gases
A study of tourism-related carbon flows between 160 countries (Lenzen et al., 2018) found that tourism's global carbon footprint rose from 3.9 to 4.5 GtCO2e between 2009 and 2013, about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with transport, shopping and food as significant contributors.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. What do overseas travellers say they want to do in rural Japan?
In the FY2025 DBJ-JTBF survey, the top things travellers wanted to do at rural destinations were eating local dishes (51%), visiting natural sights (48%) and enjoying hot springs (47%). The most common reason for wanting to visit rural areas was to enjoy natural scenery (90%). The survey covers people with overseas travel experience in 12 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, the United States and Australia.
Q2. What sustainable actions do travellers say they want to take?
In the FY2022 DBJ-JTBF survey, the sustainable action most often chosen for overseas trips was reducing waste, for both Asian residents (33%) and US, European and Australian residents (23%). Next came buying local specialities in Asia (25%), and buying from local businesses at fair prices (20%) and buying local specialities (20%) among US, European and Australian residents.
Q3. How many travellers value sustainability when choosing where to go?
In the FY2024 DBJ-JTBF survey, 74% said they value (or somewhat value) sustainability initiatives when choosing destinations or accommodation abroad, compared with 71% in FY2023 and 72% in FY2022. Support for paying money to ease congestion at, or protect, tourism resources and facilities was 63%, up from 43% in FY2019.
Q4. How many overseas guests stay overnight in Saga Prefecture?
According to the Japan Tourism Agency's Overnight Travel Statistics Survey (2025 final figures), foreign guests spent 251,600 guest nights in Saga Prefecture, up 9.7% on the previous year and down 30.0% on 2019. That is about 10.7% of all 2,356,860 guest nights (our calculation), compared with 27.2% for Japan as a whole. South Korea was the largest source market.
Q5. Is the number of visitors to Karatsu rising compared with the past?
Saga Prefecture changed its counting method from 2023, and its annual report states that the figures cannot simply be compared with the old survey. Under the new method, visitors to Karatsu City totalled 3.756 million in 2024, down 3.6% on the previous year. The new figures cover residents of Japan only and do not include overseas visitors.
Source ledger
| Source | Publisher | Date | URL | Accessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DBJ-JTBF Survey of Asian, European, US and Australian travellers on visiting Japan, FY2025 edition (in Japanese) | Development Bank of Japan and Japan Travel and Tourism Association | 2025-11-06 | https://www.dbj.jp/upload/investigate/docs/493f6b085ca9ba03dcc944a3b40e4356_1.pdf | 2026-10-13 |
| DBJ-JTBF Survey of Asian, European, US and Australian travellers on visiting Japan, FY2024 edition (in Japanese) | Development Bank of Japan and Japan Travel and Tourism Association | 2024-10-11 | https://www.jtb.or.jp/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/report-DBJ-JTBF-asiaeuro-survey-2024.pdf | 2026-10-13 |
| DBJ-JTBF Survey of Asian, European, US and Australian travellers on visiting Japan, FY2022 edition (in Japanese) | Development Bank of Japan and Japan Travel and Tourism Association | 2022-10-26 | https://www.dbj.jp/upload/investigate/docs/7ccfe6956b812ca76e024b7356e96093.pdf | 2026-10-13 |
| World Tourism Barometer, January 2026 (summary by the UN Tourism Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific, in Japanese) | UN Tourism Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific | 2026-01-28 | https://unwto-ap.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Barometer-Jan-2026-Final.pdf | 2026-10-13 |
| Visitor arrivals to Japan and Japanese overseas travellers, 1964-2025 | Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) | final figures 1964-2025 | https://www.jnto.go.jp/statistics/data/_files/20260819_1615-8.pdf | 2026-10-13 |
| Overnight Travel Statistics Survey, 2025 annual (final) (in Japanese) | Japan Tourism Agency | 2026-07-06 | https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/content/002010560.pdf | 2026-10-13 |
| Overnight Travel Statistics Survey 2025, tables (reference table 1, in Japanese) | Japan Tourism Agency | 2026-07-06 | https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/content/002010340.xlsx | 2026-10-13 |
| Saga Prefecture digital visitor-flow analysis, 2024 annual report (in Japanese) | Saga Prefecture | 2024 edition | https://www.pref.saga.lg.jp/kiji003106833/3_106833_375231_up_1o1xcdwz.pdf | 2026-10-13 |
| Saga Prefecture tourism trend surveys, 2018 to 2022 editions (in Japanese) | Saga Prefecture | 2018-2022 editions | https://www.pref.saga.lg.jp/kiji003106833/index.html | 2026-10-13 |
| Karatsu City tourism destination management strategy plan, 2025 edition (in Japanese) | Karatsu City | 2025-03 | https://www.city.karatsu.lg.jp/page/31514.html | 2026-10-13 |
| Japan Sustainable Tourism Standard for Destinations (JSTS-D) logo mark (in Japanese) | Japan Tourism Agency | 2026-10-02 (list date) | https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/seisaku_seido/kihonkeikaku/jizoku_kankochi/jizokukano_taisei/torikumi/jsts-d_logomark.html | 2026-10-13 |
| List of areas using the JSTS-D logo mark, as of 2 October 2026 (in Japanese) | Japan Tourism Agency | 2026-10-02 | https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/content/002025519.pdf | 2026-10-13 |
| GSTC Criteria | Global Sustainable Tourism Council | https://www.gstc.org/gstc-criteria/ | 2026-10-13 | |
| Bathing tax (in Japanese) | Karatsu City | 2024-10-11 (updated) | https://www.city.karatsu.lg.jp/page/3010.html | 2026-10-13 |
| Non-statutory local taxes in force, FY2025 (in Japanese) | Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications | 2026-01 | https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_zeisei/czaisei/czaisei_seido/pdf/ichiran06_r08/ichiran06_r08_15.pdf | 2026-10-13 |
| Lenzen et al. The carbon footprint of global tourism. Nature Climate Change 8:522-528 | Springer Nature (peer-reviewed) | 2018-05-07 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0141-x | 2026-10-13 |
What this page does not cover
It does not evaluate the efforts of individual destinations, municipalities or companies, does not use travel surveys run independently by private companies and does not use values read off charts. Figures that could not be checked against primary sources are not included. DBJ-JTBF charts and tables are not reproduced; figures are quoted with attribution. The surveys differ by year in respondents' ages (20-59 in FY2022, 20-79 in FY2024 and FY2025) and in their questions, so figures are not compared across years.
About this page
Compiled by Hiroaki Kojima, Vice Director, Karatsu Farm & Food / Contact: kojima@karatsu-f-f.com (contact page) / Published: October 14, 2026 / Markdown: en/tourism-data.mdRelated links
▶ Karatsu Data Bank
▶ Business and Biodiversity (IPBES)
▶ 観光の統計：旅行者が何をしたいか（日本語）