Since April 2014, the Kyoto City Tourism Association (DMO KYOTO) has published monthly reports analyzing Kyoto’s tourism market trends to provide timely industry insights.
These reports summarize key performance indicators, including accommodation data from major hotels and ryokans within the city, as well as duty-free sales performance at local department stores.
This report summarizes the performance of Kyoto’s accommodation sector for May 2026. The data is based on a sample of 118 major hotels and 21 ryokans (Japanese-style inns).
Key Findings
87.0 %
0.1pts （YOY）
The Occupancy Rate for the sample of 118 major hotels was 87.0%, down 0.1 percentage points year-over-year (YOY).
24,231 JPY
4.1％ （YOY）
The Average Daily Rate (ADR) was 24,231 JPY, a 4.1% increase YOY .
This marked the fourth consecutive month that figures have exceeded previous year levels.
Note: ADR is the average revenue earned per occupied room,
excluding consumption and accommodation taxes.
21,081 JPN
4.0％ （YOY）
Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) was 21,081JPY, a 4.0% increase YOY .
Note: RevPAR is calculated by multiplying ADR by the Occupancy Rate, representing total room revenue divided by the total number of available rooms
323,249 Person-Nights
9.6% （YOY）
Total Japanese person-nights reached 323,249, a 9.6% increase YOY
657,628 Person-Nights
3.2% （YOY）
Total international person-nights reached 657,628, a 3.2% decrease YOY
In terms of international guest nights market share by country and region, the United States ranked first with a 23.5% share.
YOY, guest nights from China fell by 64.9%, while those from the Middle East grew by 38.1%.
The number of guest nights from China recorded a 64.9% YOY decrease, as the Chinese government’s ongoing travel advisory regarding Japan continues. This follows a similar trend from the previous month (April), which also saw a 64.3% YOY decrease, indicating that the decline is continuing at a consistent level.
Due to the impact of escalating tensions in the Middle East, the number of guest nights from the Middle East had been on a downward trend, recording YOY decreases of 36.1% in March and 46.4% in April. However, demand turned around in May, rebounding to a 38.1% YOY increase.
Turkey, in particular, showed remarkable growth, with the number of guest nights reaching approximately four times that of the same month last year. This surge is attributed to the calendar shift of Islamic holidays, which occurred in late May this year (versus early June last year), alongside the resumption of certain air routes.
Furthermore, guest nights from Europe—where travelers often transit through airports in Middle Eastern countries—rebounded from a 6.1% YOY decrease in April to an 8.6% YOY increase in May. According to interviews with a subset of the surveyed hotels, it appears that some trips initially scheduled for March or April were postponed until May.
73.9 ％
1.1pts （YOY）
The Occupancy Rate for the sample of 21 major ryokans was 73.9%, down 1.1 percentage points YOY.
102.8
7.0pts （YOY）
Travel Interest Index, which measures the volume of active interest in visiting Kyoto during May, reached 102.8 (up 7.0 points YOY,based on a 2023–2025 average of 100).
This index is a measurement of actual digital engagement captured within the month, including search volume for Kyoto-related queries, social media mentions, and traffic to major tourist spot websites.
60,991
1.7％ （YOY）
The number of lodging facilities in Kyoto City grew 6.3% YOY, with total room inventory increasing 1.3% YOY.
95.9
0.4pts （YOY）
The Domestic Visitor Index was 96.5(based on a 2023–2025 average of 100), a increase of 0.4 points YOY.
3.59 billion JPY
24.8％ （YOY）
Duty-free sales at the three major department stores in Kyoto City reached approximately 3.59 billion JPY, exceeding previous year figures YOY for three consecutive month.
69,196
2.8％ （YOY）
Visitors to the Kyoto Station Tourist Information Center totaled 69,196, a 2.8% decrease YOY.
Future Outlook & Market Analysis
As of May 1, forecasted occupancy rates are 78.8% for June (vs. 80.0% actual YOY), 76.4% for July (vs. 75.4% actual YOY), and 75.7% for August (vs. 76.8% actual YOY).
Although this is typically a period of seasonal decline, performance is expected to remain on par with previous year levels.
However, as room rates listed on online booking sites for stays between June and August are currently trending below year-over-year (YOY) levels, the Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) Index may struggle to achieve growth.
The outlook is expected to remain susceptible to rising travel costs driven by higher fuel surcharges and ongoing geopolitical instability. Therefore, while pursuing diversification into emerging markets with significant recent growth, such as Latin America, it is vital to stabilize demand by effectively capturing the recovering domestic market.
Data Analysis & Download Dashboard
We provide an interactive dashboard that allows users to freely process, analyze, and download various datasets from our tourism survey reports（Japanese only）
Survey Specifications
In this survey, any individual holding a passport other than Japanese, regardless of the purpose of their visit (whether for business or tourism), is defined as an “international guest.”
*Click here to view past survey results.
Surveyed Facilities
| As of May 2026 | Hotel | Ryokan(Japanese-style inns) | ||
| Facilities | Rooms | Facilities | Rooms | |
| Survey Sample | 118 | 18,681 | 21 | 560 |
| City-wide Total | 275 | 37,309 | 367 | 5,311 |
| Coverage Rate | 42.9％ | 50.1％ | 5.7％ | 10.6% |
Since the number of surveyed facilities may vary between the previous year and the current year, the previous year’s figures provided in this report may differ from the values originally published last year.
Reference: List of Documents Related to Tourism Surveys in Kyoto City（Japanese only）
Notes
- When citing figures from this report, please clearly indicate the source as “Source: Kyoto City Tourism Association Monthly Data Report”
- Figures are subject to change without notice due to corrections from data-providing accommodation facilities and other sources. As a general rule, please refer to the most recently published figures as the accurate data.
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