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[Yanolja Research Insights] Vol.8 Enhancing Inbound Tourism Data Management System: Lessons from Japan


As tourism plays a crucial role in economic revitalization, Japan's success in managing inbound tourism data offers valuable insights. Yanolja Research Insight Vol.8 examined Japan’s data system and compares it with Korea’s, highlighting key lessons for improvement.


Japan’s Strengths in Tourism Data Management

Japan's systematic approach to tourism data collection has contributed significantly to its tourism industry's growth. Key features include:

  • Diversity: JTA (Japan Tourism Agency) and JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization) provide comprehensive data on tourist characteristics, travel trends, and regional tourism. However, reliance on public institutions limits private-sector insights.

  • Sufficiency: Detailed surveys like the Overnight Travel Statistics Survey and Market Reports provide a deep understanding of tourist behaviors by nationality and accommodation preferences.

  • Timeliness: Frequent data updates and short release cycles, such as quarterly reporting for Trends in Foreign Visitors’ Spending in Japan, ensure data remains current.

  • Applicability: Data integration efforts, such as FF-Data (Flow of Foreigners-Data), enable precise tracking of tourist movements and preferences.


Korea’s Current Position

Since 2021, Korea has operated the Korea Tourism Data Lab, providing extensive data from both public and private sources, including mobile communication and credit card data. However, challenges remain:

  • Lack of detailed segmentation: While Korea collects regional visit data, understanding movement patterns between regions is still difficult.

  • Limited market-specific insights: Unlike Japan’s JNTO reports, Korea’s data lacks in-depth analyses on travel behavior by nationality and market trends.


The Need for a Data Control Tower System

To enhance Korea’s inbound tourism data system, a Data Control Tower System is recommended to:

  • Standardize regional data collection to allow for nationwide comparisons.

  • Integrate multiple data sources to improve accuracy and depth.

  • Support policy-making and strategy development through more refined analysis.


Japan’s success underscores the importance of structured, comprehensive tourism data management. How can Korea build a similarly robust system to enhance its inbound tourism strategy?

For more insights and detailed recommendations, visit Yanolja Research’s official website.

Yanolja Research Insights Vol.8

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Location: Seoul, Korea

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