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Tokyo has already been ranked one of the world’s best cities for 2026, and the capital was recently named the best city for our fellow Gen Z younguns, too. Add to that the sheer number of visitors coming through Tokyo and Japan, and it’s clear that tourism here shows no signs of slowing down. And Japan’s tourism boom is part of a much bigger global, upward trend.
According to the World Economic Forum’s recent Travel & Tourism Development Index, international tourist arrivals worldwide hit a record 1.5 billion in 2025, while Japan topped its ranking of the top ten countries for travel and tourism in 2026.
Following Japan in this year’s index are:
No 2 United States
No 3 Spain
No 4 Australia
No 5 France
No 6 Germany
No 7 United Kingdom
No 8 China
No 9 Switzerland
No 10 Italy
Japan’s top spot in the ranking comes after the country welcomed a record 42.7 million international visitors last year. While the rise in tourism may seem like a great thing, there have been some downsides like overcrowding and noise pollution in popular cities like Kyoto and Tokyo.
To combat this, actors such as the Japan National Tourism Organization have been working to draw travellers to regional destinations beyond the country’s major cities, distributing the impacts of tourism more equitably. A new lodging tax was also introduced in certain cities like Kyoto.
Overall, Japan climbed two places from last year’s ranking, alongside Australia, showcasing strong demand for travel within the Asia-Pacific region. The index, which is structured around 17 key pillars including safety and security, price competitiveness, air transport infrastructure, cultural resources and tourist services, also found that cultural resources saw the biggest increase in interest between 2024 and 2026, highlighting the importance of cultural activities to travellers when choosing where to visit.
For more on the Travel & Tourism Development Index, visit the website.
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