The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), and the Tourism EXPO Japan (TEJ) Executive Committee signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen collaboration between Japan's travel and tourism industry and the global tourism industry. The MOU was signed by Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of the WTTC; Yuji Hara, Chairman of JATA and Eijiro Yamakita, Chairman of the Tourism EXPO Japan Executive Committee.

The three parties will collaborate on initiatives such as research, market intelligence, the sharing of best practices, cooperation at major tourism events in Japan and abroad, digital transformation (including AI) and the development of sustainable tourism destinations.

According to the WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Research (EIR), Japan’s travel and tourism sector contributed $343.1 billion to the economy in 2025, accounting for 8.1% of GDP, ranking the country fifth globally in terms of the size of its travel and tourism economy.

The sector grew by 4.6% year-on-year in 2025, outpacing the 1.1% growth rate of the Japanese economy as a whole. Spending by international visitors to Japan totaled $63.3 billion, placing the country seventh globally for international visitor spending. This marked a rise from 15th place in 2019, with spending increasing by 8.8% year-on-year and 74.9% compared to 2019 levels.

Sharing knowledge and working together for international events

Under the MOU, WTTC, JATA, and the TEJ Executive Committee will explore opportunities to share research, reports, insights, market intelligence, and best practices. By leveraging data and insights regarding the travel and tourism industry, they aim to facilitate evidence-based decision-making and drive the industry's future development.

The partnership also includes collaboration on research projects and joint activities at major travel and tourism events held both in Japan and overseas. Through the partnership, JATA and Tourism EXPO Japan will expand their connections with WTTC members and the global travel and tourism industry, while WTTC will likewise deepen its relationships with Japanese executives and industry stakeholders.

"By combining exceptional tourism assets, robust transportation infrastructure and a forward-looking approach to tourism development, Japan has built one of the world's most successful travel and tourism economies,” said Guevara. “This agreement will strengthen ties between Japan and the global travel and tourism community, creating new opportunities for collaboration.”

Innovation and digital transformation have also been designated as key areas of focus under this MOU. In addition to innovation and digital transformation, the three parties will explore cooperation to enhance the competitiveness and resilience of the tourism industry. Furthermore, they will strengthen partnerships with DMOs at the national, regional, and city levels to support the sustainable development and international positioning of tourism destinations.

Raising global presence of Tourism EXPO Japan

"The WTTC’s participation in Tourism EXPO Japan, agreed upon through this MOU, will serve to elevate the event's international profile,” said Yamakita."Japan's participation in WTTC-hosted events will foster mutual exchange and boost Japan's presence in the international tourism sector."

As an international tourism event involving public and private sector stakeholders from Japan and abroad, Tourism EXPO Japan promotes tourism and international exchange while fostering cross-sector collaboration within the travel and tourism industry.