インバウンド、地方に誘客　都市偏在解消へ―観光白書

　政府は１８日の閣議で、２０２４年版観光白書を決定した。コロナ禍後に堅調に回復しているインバウンド（訪日客）について、滞在や消費が三大都市圏に集中していると説明。地方への誘客を推進することが喫緊の課題だとした。
　２３年の訪日外国人旅行者数は約２５０７万人とコロナ禍前の１９年の約８割まで回復。旅行消費額は５兆３０６５億円と過去最高となった。ただ、宿泊先は三大都市圏が約７割を占める。
　白書は、都市への偏在を解消することが地方創生につながると指摘。観光客の急増で住民生活や環境に影響が及ぶオーバーツーリズム（観光公害）の抑制にも有効だと強調した。
　誘客策として、地域の自然や伝統文化、食を生かした体験型コンテンツの造成▽広域的な周遊ルートの発信▽宿泊施設の高付加価値化―などを挙げた。（2024/06/18-09:18）

The Japanese government stressed in an annual report Tuesday the need to attract more foreign visitors to rural areas in the country, reducing their concentration in large cities.
   Foreign tourists stay and spend money mainly in the country's three metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, according to the 2024 white paper on tourism, adopted at the day's cabinet meeting.
   The number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2023 came to some 25.07 million, about 80 pct of the level in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, with their travel spending hitting a record high of 5,306.5 billion yen. But some 70 pct of accommodations for such visitors were located in the three metropolitan areas.
   The white paper said that eliminating such concentration in big cities will lead to regional revitalization and help curb overtourism, preventing an excessive influx of tourists from seriously affecting the daily lives of local residents and the environment.
   As measures to attract foreign visitors to rural areas, the white paper cited the creation of experience-based programs that make use of local nature, traditional culture and food, the dissemination of information on wide-area tour routes and the addition of extra value to accommodation facilities.