Tokyo, Friday, 19 September 2025.
Retail and resort leaders should brace for near-term demand headwinds as a cluster of policy moves reshapes international visitation. This Friday’s reporting highlights a striking signal: travel from Canada to the US plunged by roughly 37% year‑on‑year in July 2025, compounding impacts from new tourist levies in Italy and Japan (notably Okinawa’s capped accommodation tax and Venice’s expanded day‑trip fee). Together, these measures aim to curb overtourism and fund sustainability but carry predictable commercial effects: lower high‑yield arrivals, shorter lengths of stay and pressure on ancillary spend (F&B, retail, hotels). For park operators and retail buyers the priority is scenario planning across pricing, packaging and distribution — dynamic packages to absorb per‑visitor taxes, contract clauses with international tour operators, and recalibrated staffing and inventory forecasts. Actionable next steps: accelerate data‑driven demand forecasting, shift marketing to resilient domestic segments, diversify feeder markets and run cash‑flow stress tests for Q4 2025 through FY2026.