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Hotels in Japan's Hida Takayama region face significant economic losses as over 4,000 foreign tourists canceled bookings due to flight disruptions and heightened Middle East tensions caused by the Iran War.

Middle East Tensions Impact Japanese Tourism

Last month, the number of foreign visitors to Japan exceeded 3.6 million, setting a new record for March. While tourists from Vietnam, the US, and the UK increased, visitor numbers from the Middle East dropped by over 30% compared to the same period last year due to heightened tensions in Iran. This instability in the Middle East is directly affecting Japan's tourism industry.

Hida Takayama's Accommodation Sector Suffers Significant Losses

Hida Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, has been severely impacted by the situation. According to Minoru Nakahata, managing director of the Hida Takayama Ryokan Hotel Cooperative, over 4,000 tourists from regions including Israel, France, Italy, and Germany canceled their bookings due to flight cancellations. Since these cancellations are due to flight issues, hotels cannot charge cancellation fees, placing a heavy burden on their operations. A simple calculation indicates a loss of over 40 million yen in revenue based on single-night stays, but the actual damage is expected to be even greater, considering that many visitors stay for multiple nights (e.g., two to three nights).

*Source: テレ朝NEWS (2026-04-16)*

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