Travel to Japan is Booming, But Tour Operators Face Capacity Crunch

Tours and activities operators in Asia expect at least another 6 to 12 months of pent-up travel demand. However, maximizing this opportunity depends on addressing capacity bottlenecks, especially in markets like Japan. 

"It gets so chaotic that we have to help the suppliers," said Wei-chun Liu, chief operating officer for KKday, a Taipei-based experiences booking company. 

Visitors to Japan surpassed 2019 levels for the first time in October, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday.

Liu said that Japan has struggled to manage the surge in travel demand after restrictions lifted a year ago.

"We are seeing a lot of constraints from the industry, for example, the bus capacity, the tour guide capacity, are all a challenge right now," said Liu. "Our team spent a lot of time trying to secure capacity for buses. Th