Yasuyuki Harada: Our participation in FITUR is essential for promoting travel to Japan

Harada believes that FITUR has established itself as an emblematic platform for the Spanish tourism market and assures that Japan's participation in the trade fair is essential for promoting travel to this country.

What are the tourism links between Spain and Japan?

Spain and Japan share close ties in the field of tourism, reflected in such significant examples as their pilgrimage routes. The Camino de Santiago in Spain and the Kumano Kodo within the Wakayama and Mie Prefectures in Japan, both recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, symbolise this spiritual and cultural connection. In 1998, these emblematic routes sealed their twinning, united by a deep historical tradition and the common spirit of pilgrimage.

The Kumano Kodo is revered as a sacred space where Buddhism, Shinto and Shugendocome together in harmony. The pilgrimage to Kumano is closely linked to the idea of spiritual rebirth, which has contributed to its growing popularity among international visitors, including many Spaniards. In addition, the existence of the special "Dual Pilgrim" certificate, awarded to those who complete both the Kumano Kodo and the Camino de Santiago, has encouraged Japanese and Spanish pilgrims to discover and walk these sacred routes in both countries.

On the other hand, Spain is recognised worldwide for its rich and diverse gastronomic culture, with the tapas tradition being one of its most iconic elements and the Mediterranean diet, recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Japan shares this same passion for good food, with its traditional cuisine, washoku, also recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2013. Japanese cuisine features an extraordinary variety of flavours, ranging from sushi, a symbol of its marine wealth, to meat delicacies such as the famous Kobe beef. Undoubtedly, the culinary excellence offered by both countries is a strong attraction that boosts bilateral tourism.

How is bilateral tourism between the two countries developing?

In 2024, around 182,000 Spanish tourists visited Japan, almost three times as many as a decade ago. In the same year, the year-on-year growth rate reached 57%, one of the highest among European countries, reflecting a marked increase in interest in Japan as a destination. This strong growth is all the more significant considering that, until October 2023, there were no direct flights between the two countries, making access difficult. Since then, the airline Iberia has established a direct connection between Madrid and Tokyo, with three weekly flights, facilitating travel between Spain and Japan.

As for the most recent figures, approximately 311,000 Japanese tourists visited Spain in 2023. While the current depreciation of the Japanese yen is a hindrance by making travel abroad more expensive, Spain's popularity as a tourist destination in Europe remains high.

What actions are being taken to further promote tourism between Japan and Spain?

In the strategy for the expansion of Spanish tourism to Japan, two fundamental axes are prioritised: the "attraction of new segments" and the "diversification of destinations". Historically, the profile of the Spanish traveller in Japan has focused on couples; however, in the last year there has been significant growth in the segment of families with children, which reflects a change in travel patterns and opens up new opportunities for tourism promotion.

Considering Japan's strong reputation as one of the safest countries in the world, together with its wide range of child-oriented attractions - such as the Pokémon Café or Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan - we will reinforce our communication actions specifically targeting families, with the aim of consolidating this growing segment.

Just as Spain offers much more than Madrid and Barcelona, Japan also has a wealth of attractions beyond its major cities, such as Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. We will therefore intensify our efforts to raise awareness of the diversity of destinations the country has to offer, promoting its lesser-known charms. In particular, we recommend the Hokkaido region in northern Japan. Renowned for its lush nature and as one of the country's top food destinations, Hokkaido offers a unique experience. Thanks to the relatively cool summer climate and the absence of crowds in the big cities, this region can be considered a real hidden gem.

With regard to the promotion of travel by Japanese nationals to Spain, although this is not an area under our direct jurisdiction and we are not in a position to provide exhaustive details, in January this year we held a meeting with the Spanish Tourism Institute (Turespaña), in collaboration with the Japan Tourism Agency, which is our supervisory body, with the aim of promoting bilateral tourism exchange. We will continue to work closely with both institutions to promote the development of tourism relations between Japan and Spain.

What does Japan's presence at FITUR contribute to boosting tourism in the country? 

We believe that FITUR has established itself as an emblematic platform of the Spanish tourism market. In this context, Japan's participation is essential for promoting travel to our country. One of JNTO's fundamental missions is to facilitate the link between Japanese tourism professionals, travel agencies and the Spanish public. In this sense, for Japanese co-exhibitors participating for the first time, the event is an invaluable starting point to approach the Spanish market. For those who have already participated, it is a great opportunity to consolidate and expand their network of contacts.

FITUR is also a crucial tool for disseminating up-to-date information to the media. We take advantage of this platform, which allows us to conduct PR work with a large number of journalists simultaneously, to disseminate the latest news about travel to Japan and our various initiatives.

We will continue our efforts to enhance Japan's visibility in the Spanish tourism sector through our participation in FITUR.