How do you grow a tourism business in a country with one of the world’s lowest passport ownership rates?

Seated across from Eijiro Yamakita in Tokyo last spring, I asked how Japan’s travel sector can be globally competitive when less than 17% of its citizens hold a passport. He answered without hesitation, “That’s precisely where we start.”

From that point on, the conversation was less about problems and more about frameworks. Data, collaboration, decentralisation — these aren’t buzzwords for him. They are the scaffolding for the future of the global tourism strategy.

Building intelligence into travel

Over the last two decades, the accessibility of travel has increased. What hasn’t improved much is the depth of the experience. Most visitors to Japan stick to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. What lies outside those hubs often goes unseen, not because it’s inaccessible, but because it’s invisible to global travellers.

Yamakita wants to change that. At the core of JTB’s evolving identity is an effort to build tourism not around high traffic but high value. That begins with intelligence. Not the abstract kind, but real-time insight: how visitors move, where they dwell, what they seek, and where potential remains untapped.

In 2025, JTB completed the acquisition of the Northstar Travel Group. Based in the United States, Northstar brings together data, research, events, and trade publications like Travel Weekly and is a key partner in the Web In Travel (WiT) conference. It was a calculated move. This acquisition wasn’t just about scale but about integrating data capability into JTB’s DNA. Yamakita refers to it as adding an “intellectual engine” to the travel business.

Regional Japan and the challenge of imbalance

In 2024, Japan welcomed 36.8 million international visitors. That number is expected to rise to 40.2 million in 2025, according to JTB’s own travel outlook.

While these figures reflect a strong recovery, the distribution of travellers remains uneven. More than 80% concentrate around the same cities, leaving much of regional Japan untouched.

This imbalance is what Yamakita finds more urgent than overtourism. His vision isn’t about reducing footfall in urban centres but about increasing participation in regional ones. He’s spent time in all 47 prefectures, not for optics, but to engage with communities, town leaders, and local stakeholders.

He often speaks about the need for towns to collaborate, not compete. Tourism, in his view, should flow across connected routes rather than isolated attractions. JTB has been supporting regional partnerships, curating multi-prefecture itineraries that spotlight underrepresented regions.

Infrastructure as a communication tool

Infrastructure is more than roads and railways. Yamakita talks about infrastructure in layers: the physical (transport, accommodation), the digital (platforms, translation tools), and the cultural (how visitors feel welcomed).

Japan has long been lauded for its trains and public transport. But Yamakita identifies the gap in the “software” layer — signage, language services, and digital aids that make travel more seamless for non-Japanese speakers.

To accommodate a goal of 100 million inbound visitors by 2045, the country needs a hospitality system that communicates as much as it connects. That includes real-time translation tools, smarter routing, and better support for cultural interpretation.

Reframing outbound travel from Japan

Post-pandemic, Japanese outbound tourism has not recovered at the same pace as inbound figures. Current estimates show it remains below 70% of 2019 levels.

What Yamakita and his team are noticing is a shift in demographics. Women in their twenties are emerging as the most consistent outbound travellers. At the same time, upper-income groups continue to visit Europe despite rising costs.

Rather than push promotions or discounts, JTB is working to build curiosity. They’re investing in programmes that make international travel feel purposeful. Among them are student exchange initiatives like Global Link and sports partnerships such as their sponsorship of Major League Baseball in the U.S.

The objective isn’t just outbound volume. It’s outbound intent.

The active senior traveller

Ageing populations are often framed as challenges. Yamakita sees them as underutilised markets. Japan’s senior population are not just living longer — many are travelling longer too. He cites examples of elderly couples posting their travel experiences on social media, driving what has been informally dubbed the “granfluencer” trend.

This group travel with different priorities. They value safety, meaningful interaction, and rhythm over checklists. JTB is tailoring parts of its offerings for these preferences, including slower itineraries, curated cultural events, and integrated wellness elements.

Cultural shift within a legacy institution

JTB was founded in 1912. With age comes institutional gravity. Change isn’t just structural — it’s psychological.

Yamakita speaks candidly about this. He notes that while new technology and business models are relatively easy to integrate, changing the company mindset takes longer. For him, intelligence isn’t just about customer insight. It’s about internal dialogue, adaptability, and cross-border learning.

Part of JTB’s internal reform has been focused on training, digital literacy, and international exposure. The company is navigating the delicate task of remaining grounded in its national identity while thinking globally.

Tourism as a vehicle for well-being

Asked what Japan can offer the world by 2045, Yamakita answers: well-being. He frames it not as a trend but as a societal need that Japan is well-placed to support. Clean air to breathe, safe travelling cities, locally grown food, and cultural continuity – these aren’t luxurious experiences; they are life-enhancing ones.

This conceptual frame aligns with JTB’s tagline: “Perfect moments, always.” The intention is to go for experiences that are not hurried but resonate, focusing on wellness as opposed to spa retreats – wellness here means a bond with place and community and with oneself.

Strategic observations for the travel industry

Other global brands may find resonance in JTB’s approach. The integration of data and media into the business core is not limited to the travel sector. Intelligence is a competitive advantage, especially when applied to culture-sensitive industries.

Yamakita’s emphasis on regional collaboration offers a replicable model for other countries with urban-rural divides. His insistence on outbound purpose over outbound volume is relevant to all mature tourism markets.

He’s also made a case for embracing older travellers without patronising them and for decentralising tourism development to make it community-led.

If tourism is to offer more than a temporary escape, it must be restructured around intelligence, not instinct.

What Yamakita and JTB are putting forward is not a shift in itinerary but a shift in philosophy.

It’s worth paying attention to where that leads next.