"Seeking Tourists Owning Private Jets and Yachts"... Japan Focuses on the 'Ultra-Wealthy'

Easing Regulations on Foreigners Entering with Private Jets and Yachts

The Japanese government is pushing to ease regulations on foreigners entering the country via private jets and luxury yachts. This move aims to revitalize the tourism industry and increase foreign currency earnings by sending love calls to super-rich individuals worldwide following the COVID-19 endemic phase.

On the 29th (local time), the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, citing Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, that the notification requirement for foreign-registered private jets landing in Japan will be shortened from the previous "10 days in advance" to "3 days in advance."

The Japanese government has also decided to introduce a measure allowing notification 24 hours before landing in unavoidable cases and has begun revising the Civil Aviation Act accordingly.

With this deregulation, Japanese authorities expect an increase in the number of foreigners visiting Japan by private jet. According to Kyodo News, the number of people entering Japan by private jet decreased from 5,962 in 2019 to 1,332 in 2021 after the outbreak of COVID-19. However, with the resumption of tourism due to the endemic, the number rebounded to 3,142 last year.

The Japanese government is also reviewing deregulation and infrastructure expansion to promote tourism by foreigners owning luxury yachts longer than 24 meters.

First, they are working to ease customs requirements for foreign luxury yachts docked in Japan and extend the stay period for ship crew members. Not only the central government but also local governments have begun reviewing port facility development. This is based on the judgment that Japan lacks infrastructure such as pre-departure lounges, concierge, and limousine services found in resorts popular among the super-rich, like Monaco, Dubai, and Aspen, Colorado.

Through this, the Japanese government intends to actively target foreign super-rich individuals owning private jets and luxury yachts to expand tourism revenue and stimulate the domestic economy. According to SCMP, although wealthy tourists accounted for only 0.9% of foreign visitors to Japan in 2019, they accounted for 11.5% of total tourist spending.

The Japanese government has set a short-term goal of earning more than 5 trillion yen (approximately 47 trillion won) annually through attracting foreign tourists. The more "big spenders" visiting Japan, the greater the effect on increasing tourism revenue is expected to be.

Ashley Harvey, a travel marketing analyst with over 15 years of experience in Japan's tourism sector, said, "The government has taken a very important first step. There is a lot the government can do in terms of deregulation, but capturing and executing this opportunity depends on the private sector."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.