Understanding the Unique Consumer Behavior of Japanese Tourists

Japan is the largest market for U.S. inbound overseas tourism, and international tourism is the largest source of earning foreign exchange for the U.S. economy. Japan has registered the highest growth in the world in the development of its outbound international tourism during the 1980AEs and is expected to continue its rapid growth in the foreseeable future. This paper examines the unique characteristics of the consumer behavior of Japanese tourist who are or will be vacationing I the U.S. Recommendations have been offered to marketers of tourism firms who can benefit by understanding the unique characteristics of a Japanese touristAEs consumer behavior and by changing their marketing strategies accordingly.