Jul 17 (Japan Today) - Tourist farms in Japan have been attracting hordes of foreign visitors who are placing fruit picking high on their travel itineraries as the global reputation of Japanese fruit grows.
With more tourists seeking experiences over material goods during their trips, a number of companies have started getting involved in farm tourism, and tourist farms are becoming can't-miss destinations, especially outside major cities.
The reputations of farmers who actively invest in and promote their farms are spreading beyond borders on the internet.
According to the Japan Tourism Agency, overseas visitors to Japan spent 143.9 billion yen on leisure activities in 2017, more than four times the amount spent four years before.
But since the ratio of spending on leisure activities among entire travel expenses was lower than in data revealed for Europe and the United States, both public and private sectors in Japan see even greater potential for growth.
A survey by the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Ministry in fiscal 2015 showed the average annual sales of 6,700 nationwide businesses, which operate tourist farms, were relatively small at 5.64 million yen, but some experts see potential in tourist farms as a means of revitalizing rural economies.
