This Country Is Teaming Up With The US To Boost Tourism In 2026

Japan and the U.S. have joined forces — at least when it comes to travel. The two countries have teamed up to launch the "Japan-USA Tourism Campaign 2026," an initiative designed to boost tourism in both countries. The campaign aims to strengthen business and economic ties between Japan and the U.S., and invite more people to travel between both countries through special tour packages, ad campaigns, and promotional events.

Japan is making a serious effort to bring in new visitors from around the world, and the U.S. remains one of its "key target markets," according to a press release from the Japan Tourism Agency. At the same time, Japan plans to fuel more travel to the United States. It will cut passport fees for Japanese citizens and invite American travel experts to share recommendations and tips with locals. Plus, Japanese tourists can take advantage of package deals to attend special events in the U.S. in 2026, such as the FIFA World Cup, Independence Day, and even the 100th anniversary of Route 66. 

It's safe to say that the U.S. could use a boost right now. International tourism to the United States has fallen recently. In fact, it was the only major country to experience a decline in global tourism in 2025, reports the New York Times. This, of course, led to an estimated $12.5 billion drop in visitor spending, per the World Travel and Tourism Council. Meanwhile, Japan celebrated a record-breaking milestone of 42.7 million foreign tourists in 2025. Thanks to the relative affordability (especially when compared to Europe) and outstanding tourist destinations for first-time visitors in Japan, its growing popularity comes as no surprise.

As part of the two-way tourism initiative, Japan plans to use digital marketing and social media to target both American and Japanese users. In its campaigns, Japan will promote major events such as the Cherry Blossom Festival and the Japan Parade. It may even shine a light on festivals and events that take place outside of the country's major cities, such as the Sapporo Snow Festival or the Awa Odori Festival in Tokushima.

Japan also plans to position itself as one of the world's best wellness destinations to visit in 2026. "Given the rapidly growing demand for 'wellness' in the U.S., digital media advertising will be deployed to raise awareness of regional wellness experiences," writes the Japan Tourism Agency. Don't be surprised if you start seeing clips of American athletes visiting a Japanese "onsen," or hot spring, on your social media feed.

Japan's efforts to boost tourism go well beyond the screen. Other plans include sending Japanese celebrities to the U.S. to showcase its local culture, cuisine, and fashion. In 2023, Bentenya, a kimono-clad Japanese female musical group, traveled the length of the original Route 66 between Santa Monica and Chicago. In celebration of the iconic route's 100th anniversary in November of this year, the group made a film documenting their journey and highlighting their performances of Japanese and American music, a campaign that will hopefully spark interest in travel to both countries. So if you plan to visit some of the U.S.A.'s top-tier tourist attractions this year, be prepared to share the fun with plenty of visitors from Japan.