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Addressing Overtourism and Market Diversification through the Expansion of the Muslim Travel Market
On Wednesday, June 11, 2025, the “Halal in Travel Global Summit 2025” was held, organized by CrescentRating (Singapore) and Mastercard (USA). On the second day of the three-day summit, Mr. Yokoyama from Food Diversity Inc. participated in a panel discussion.
The theme of the panel discussion was “Managing Overtourism through Inclusion: Growing the Muslim Market to Diversify Visitor.” Panelists from Spain, Indonesia, and Japan shared their respective challenges related to overtourism and discussed strategies being implemented in their countries.
Spain introduced a strategy based on the Islamic calendar to attract Muslim travelers during religious holidays, successfully spreading out visitor numbers throughout the year. Indonesia highlighted efforts to promote Lombok Island as an alternative to the overcrowded Bali, with encouraging results in redistributing tourists.
Yokoyama remarked that “Japan is still on the path to becoming a true tourism-oriented nation” and emphasized, “The Japanese people themselves are still in the process of internationalization. Now is the time to reevaluate how we embrace diverse values.” He introduced an example from Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture, where one restaurant’s decision to serve Halal ramen attracted more Muslim visitors. This initial step led to the construction of a mosque and a cricket ground, eventually positioning the city as a candidate host for the Asian Games—demonstrating how communities can evolve through inclusive tourism efforts.
While all three panelists agreed that there is no quick fix to overtourism, the session concluded with consensus on the importance of long-term public-private cooperation, supported by successful case studies from each country.
