THE INBOUND TRAGEDY

Japan lately opened itself as a tourist destination, jumping from 8,6 millions tourist in 2010, to 19,7 in 2015, over 32 in 2019, and japanese gouvernement targeting 40 millions in 2020.

As a result, most tourism businesses and regions builded in a rush their tourism economy to become 2,3% of the GNP. Mostly towards mass tourism, gaining jamming from the overflow, complains of “tourism pollution”, re-enforcing a certain japanese xenophobia towards asiatic populations … although some areas are in economic crisis, voices also whisper louder and louder that this might not be a so bad thing in the end.

Corona 19, and the one that may follow, will not facilitate the reopening of frontiers and quotat might appear. Meanwhile, no inbounds means also no outbounds, the Japanese will travel domestic.

Frustrated from not going abroad, Japanese shall try to find an abroad experience in Japan or go for the discovery of their roots and patrimony. Either way, it is a whole new market opportunity open to the first to size it, evolve to adapt.

My guess is that japanese market will need foreign experts’ skills in this speed process and we are shifting part of our capacities towards this market.

THE JAPAN EXCEPTION ? (May 2020)