A Quiet Okinawan Escape Just Logged a 404% Jump in Overseas Guests, According to Hoshino Resorts
Hoshino Resorts’ latest data highlights longer stays, rising onsen demand, and rapid growth in Japan’s lesser-visited regions as travelers move beyond the traditional Golden Route.
Photo: Courtesy of Hoshino Resorts
A remote island resort in Okinawa has quietly become one of the fastest-growing destinations in Hoshino Resorts’ portfolio. RISONARE Kohamajima recorded a 404% increase in international guests in 2025, according to the company’s latest inbound travel report, a surge tied in part to the return of direct flights connecting Ishigaki Island with Seoul, Taipei, and Hong Kong.
The spike reflects a broader pattern emerging across Japan: travelers are stretching beyond the traditional Tokyo-Kyoto corridor and spending more time in regional destinations. Across Hoshino’s 68 properties, international guest-nights surpassed 1.33 million in 2025, with bookings rising 24% year over year. While that growth rate has cooled compared to the post-pandemic rebound of 2024, the company’s data suggests visitor behavior is shifting rather than slowing.
Length of stay is one of the clearest indicators. International guests averaged 3.12 nights per property, with U.S. and U.K. travelers staying even longer at 3.72 and 3.76 nights, respectively. The flagship HOSHINOYA brand posted the highest averages across the portfolio, reinforcing a move toward slower, place-focused itineraries. Kansai drew visitor numbers on par with Kanto during 2025, while Shikoku recorded four times as many international guests as the previous year, emphasizing a wider geographic spread.
Onsen ryokan are also seeing renewed interest from overseas markets. International stays at KAI properties increased 247% compared to pre-pandemic levels, prompting three new openings planned for 2026: KAI Kusatsu in Gunma Prefecture, KAI Miyajima in Hiroshima Prefecture, and KAI Zao in Yamagata Prefecture. Hoshino has introduced operational changes to support more diversity in its guests, including tattoo-friendly bathing policies and an expanded vegetarian menu.
Elsewhere in the portfolio, the company’s new mountain-focused brand LUCY is tapping into demand for nature-driven travel tied to Japan’s national parks. The debut property, LUCY Ozehatomachi, sold out its first operating season within three days of reservations opening in 2025, signaling strong early interest in structured mountain lodging.
Future openings continue to lean into regional storytelling. HOSHINOYA Nara Prison, set to debut in 2026, will transform a historic former prison into guest accommodations and a museum dedicated to the site’s history—an effort to encourage longer stays in a city often treated as a day trip.
Operationally, Hoshino Resorts has also introduced FleBOL, a new booking platform that lets guests modify travel dates, room types, or party size online before arrival, addressing roughly 40% of inquiries about reservation changes.
“Japan is predicted to receive 40 million international travelers in 2026, suggesting that the current speed of growth may be reaching its threshold,” said CEO Yoshiharu Hoshino. “Given the uncertainty—whether this peak will stabilize or lead to a sharp decline—it is crucial to shift our focus from simple expansion to retention.”
If the numbers from 2025 hold, the next wave of openings will arrive at a moment when travelers are already spending more time in Japan’s quieter corners, from remote Okinawan islands to mountain regions once considered secondary stops.
