Brand USA held its “Japan Sales Mission 2026” from July 23 to 24.
A total of 48 representatives from 36 organizations—including U.S. state and city tourism boards, tourist attractions, and travel-related companies—participated, making it the largest event to date, surpassing the previous year’s 28 organizations and 35 participants. In addition to holding more than 800 one-on-one business meetings with Japanese travel agencies and industry stakeholders, the event also included training and educational seminars for the travel industry.
Ten organizations, including Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, EVA Air, and Sphere, participated for the first time. In cooperation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Global Entry interview sessions were also held for Japan-based applicants who had received conditional approval, helping to expedite immigration procedures when entering and leaving the United States.
In 2025, approximately 2 million visitors from Japan traveled to the United States, ranking Japan third by visitor numbers, while travel spending totaled US$6.3 billion, ranking eighth. Brand USA expects Japan to rise to second place in visitor numbers by the end of the year.
Increased airline capacity is also supporting travel demand, with Japan Airlines (JAL) adding flights on the Tokyo/Narita–San Diego and Osaka/Kansai–Los Angeles routes, while United Airlines will operate seasonal flights between Sapporo/Chitose and San Francisco.
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