Comment by valenterry
21 hours ago
> critical for a country facing a 30% population decline by 2070
Tourism doesn't help with that. And this decline (if it do happens) will impact the countryside more than the places where most tourists go.
21 hours ago
> critical for a country facing a 30% population decline by 2070
Tourism doesn't help with that. And this decline (if it do happens) will impact the countryside more than the places where most tourists go.
I can say that this fact of population decline (and population aging) weighs heavily on the Japanese psyche, especially in the business world. The hottest topic for our customers in sales discussions is definitely "attracting inbound tourists".
It makes sense Japanese business owners would be interested in attracting inbound tourists as a financial solution to population decline for their businesses. At the same time, it can be possible for tourism to not be a solution to the underlying problem of population decline for wider society (including longer-term longevity of businesses, and the feasibility of future businesses).
As devil's advocate, do you not see a potential disconnect here between what makes financial sense for your customers and what makes logistical sense for the nation as a whole?
Developing a healthy tourism industry, developing English skills to communicate with the world at large, all make great sense for the country as a whole. I think these can be developed without losing the cultural aspects that make Japan great.