Hilton, global hotel groups see future outside Japan's big cities

Foreign visitors show increasing interest in going off the beaten path

Hilton and other major players are planning to respond to tourism demands in places that were not previously on most travelers' radar. © Reuters

TARO SAEKI and KAI ISHIZAKI, Nikkei staff writers

January 13, 2023 07:56 JST

TOKYO -- Major international hotel groups like Hilton and Marriott are expanding outside major Japanese cities, responding to rising demand from foreign travelers who have seen the country's metropolises before.

Now that coronavirus border restrictions have been eased, inbound travelers are pouring into the country. Many, particularly those from Southeast Asia, have a strong interest in seeing what lies beyond Japan's famous cities and tourists spots like Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa.