Record surge in international skiers drive tourism growth in Japan: Visa

  • International visitors account for nearly 50% year-on-year growth in visits and over 90% of overall spend[1]
  • Niseko, Hakuba and Furano withinJapanare top ski destinations acrossAsia Pacific,[2]as shown by cardholder spend 
  • Post ski activities show international visitors going beyond ski destinations, extending their stay inJapanand spending about 35% more daily[3]

SINGAPORE,March 27, 2025/PRNewswire/ -- With peak ski season transforming to Spring blossoms, Visa, a world leader in digital payments, today revealed data showing growing popularity ofJapanas a ski holiday destination among international travellers as number of visitors surpassed pre-pandemic levels, setting a fresh record.

Based on analysis of Visa cardholders'spending patterns during the winter peak (November 2024–February 2025) in the top ski destinations inJapan,[4]the data shows around 40% year-on-year increase in number of domestic and international visitors as well as an uplift of about 25% in total spending. International visitors accounted for about 80% of total visitors and around 90% of total visitor spend.[1] 

Record high travel and spending during ski season in Japan

Growing international allure ofJapanas a ski destination 

Visa data shows ski tourism inJapanis on the rise with the overall number of visitors having almost doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels.

  • A popular ski destination for overseas travellerswith international arrivals growing nearly 50% year-on-year, accounting for around 80% of all ski travellers during recent winter peak.[1]
  • A substantial influx of visitors from the region and beyond:Australiatops the list accounting for around 30% of total international visitors, followed bythe United States(around 20%) andSoutheast Asia, especially fromSingapore,ThailandandMalaysia, collectively accounting for around 12%.[2]
  • Japanis now the preferredski destination for Mainland Chinese travellers. For Australian travellers,Japanranks second afterNew Zealand.[2]
  • Niseko and Hakubaremain top picks (nearly 50% and approximately 35%, respectively) for international ski travellers, whileFuranois shown as a preferred destination for local visitors yet sees the fastest growth with around 70% year-on-year increase in overseas visits.[1]

Travel and spend beyond ski destinations

 

Contactless transactions at ski destinations

International travellers drive overall spend and venture beyond ski destinations

While on average domestic visitors show a slightly longer stay (about 5 days), international travellers spend more than 3 times as much per day, contributing to about 90% of overall spend.[1]The uplift in spend is extended beyond ski destinations as international travellers continue their journey to other locations and spend in dining and retail shopping.

  • Entertainment, lodging, and restaurantsaccounted for about 50 to 70 percent of spending by both overseas and local travellers.[1]
  • Ski resort experience spending[5]takes up over 40% of overall spend by international travellers.
  • Growing preference of contactlessshown as they take up over 80% of total spend among international visitors. Nearly half of these transactions were mobile-based, showing a growth of about 30% from a year ago.[6]
  • Over 90% of overseas travellersextend trips beyond the slopes by an average of 9 extra days inJapan, driving around 35% more post-ski spending per day in cities likeTokyo,Osaka, andChiba, with the bulk of post-ski spending being on shopping such as at department stores, discount stores, and for groceries (around 40% in total) and dining (around 20%).[7]

Prateek Sanghi, Head of Visa Consulting and Analytics,Asia Pacific, said:"Our data not only indicates the growing appeal ofJapanas a ski destination among international travellers but also can provide a powerful lens that can help better understand shifting travel and spending patterns of both domestic and overseas visitors. By leveraging data-driven consumer insights, governments and especially local businesses can better optimise their offerings, enhance traveller experiences, and modernise payment methods for the varying visitor segments."

Visa's payments data, consulting services and in-house data science capabilities enable organisations with key insights to help them enhance visitor experiences, optimise business strategies, and drive economic growth across the travel and commerce ecosystem. 

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more athttps://www.visa.com

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[1] Identified by comparing both resident and non-resident cardholders who made in-person transactions at the ski destinations during two distinct periods: 16 November 2024 to 15 February 2025, and 16 November 2023 to 15 February 2024. For resident cardholders, only those who had not made any transactions at the same ski destination in the previous six months were included.

[2] Identified by examining the top outbound countries by number of cardholders based on international in-person card spending for countries in the Asia Pacific region between 16 November 2024 to 15 February 2025.

[3] Identified by comparing in-person transactions made by non-resident cardholders at ski destinations between 16 November 2024 and 15 February 2025, with their in-person transactions at non-ski destinations after visiting the ski destinations.

[4] For simplicity in this analysis, ski destinations are defined by the specific city, town, village, or ward where popular ski resorts are located, using the most granular level available. The regions covered include: Niseko, Kutchan, Rankoshi, Yamanouchi, Yamagata, Furano, Nozawaonsen, Hakuba, and Yuzawa.

[5] Refers to spendings on entertainment like onsens (hot springs), childcare, and local tours unique to each ski resort.

[6] Identified by examining in-person contactless transaction volumes by non-resident cardholders at ski destinations during two distinct periods: 16 November 2024 to 15 February 2025, and 16 November 2023 to 15 February 2024.

[7] Identified by comparing in-person transactions made by non-resident cardholders at ski destinations between 16 November 2024 and 15 February 2025, with their in-person transactions at non-ski destinations after visiting the ski destinations.

 

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SOURCE Visa Worldwide Pte Ltd