Tourism In Japan- Will It Ever Cool Down?

For any CEO in Japan for more than a few years, the dramatic increase in tourists is undeniable.  Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto are the destinations of people from Europe, China, America, and a myriad of other countries around the world that we never saw visit Japan in the past.  In 2024, Japan saw nearly 37 million tourists.  In March of 2025, we saw nearly 4M visitors.  Will this hot tourist destination ever cool down?

In our July CEO Insights meeting we will welcome co-founder and CEO of Section L Hospitality Group, Mr. Howard Ho.  Section L is a hotel management company focused on apartment hotels and serviced apartments, now operating 11 locations around Japan.  Mr. Ho is a Taiwan native, educated in the US and now running a growing hospitality business in Japan.  In this meeting, we will discuss

• Japan’s booming tourism business –  Where’s it going?
• What are some operational challenges (talent acquisition, customer acquisition, etc) along the way?
• With high construction costs and asset prices, how are operators and investors navigating the current investment climate?

Tourism may not seem to affect CI network companies directly, when in fact there are both direct and indirect connections to our customers.  There are other affects, not just buying our consumer goods, buying our services, or even driving up the prices of real estate.

About the Speaker:
Howard is co-founder & CEO of Section L Hospitality Group, a Tokyo-based hotel management company. Founded in 2020, Section L operates a portfolio of 11 apartment hotels and serviced residences, primarily targeting inbound travellers.  The company built its track record through converting multifamily buildings and repositioning existing hotels to achieve value-add returns.  In 2024, Section L assisted its real estate partners through multiple successful exits while retaining management rights.
Prior to Section L, Howard worked for Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts as an asset manager and founding team member of JEN by Shangri-La. His other experiences include Four Seasons Hotels, Horwath HTL, and founding a short-term rentals platform in Japan.
Howard graduated from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.  He serves on ULI Japan’s Executive Committee and is a member of YPO.