The Application of Digital Technologies in the Development of Smart Tourism in Japan

Abstract

From 2020 to 2023, the COVID-19 pandemic evolved in an extremely complex manner in Japan, causing widespread disruption across many sectors, particularly the tourism industry. This crisis exposed the inherent limitations of the traditional tourism model dependent on high visitor volumes, while simultaneously prompting a shift in mindset and the whole system . Rather than merely adopting short-term responses, Japan leveraged this shock to integrate the principles of Society 5.0 into smart tourism, shifting the focus from scale expansion to value creation. Japan’s success lies not in the simple adoption of technology, but in its strategic capacity to link digital technologies with cultural capital to generate new experiences, address social challenges, and build a more resilient smart tourism ecosystem. Lessons from Japan demonstrate that the future of smart tourism belongs to countries capable of transforming systemic risks into drivers of focused and transformative innovation.