Tourism Recovery Helps Japan Grow in First Quarter

TOKYO—Japan’s economy showed a bigger-than-expected upswing in the first quarter, helped by a recovery in tourism that offset sluggishness in some leading economies.

Japan has just begun to benefit from post pandemic pent-up demand of the kind the U.S. experienced more than a year ago. Tokyo waited until last October to remove border controls for overseas tourists and lifted restrictions on big events earlier this year.

The world’s third-largest economy after the U.S. and China expanded 0.4% in the three months to March from the previous quarter, government data showed Wednesday, slightly above forecasts.

The Japanese economy grew at an annualised rate of 1.6%, outpacing 1.1% growth for the same quarter in the U.S., where high inflation and rising interest rates hit consumers. In China, another top market for Japanese-made goods, recent economic indicators such as the youth unemployment rate and retail sales have pointed to a sluggish recovery.

Economists say the main growth driver in Japan remains domestic demand. Spending is likely to pick up further after recent wage negotiations resulted in the biggest pay increase in three decades. The pace of inflation has slowed recently thanks to the government’s measures to ease the impact of higher energy prices and declines in import prices.

Overall consumer prices in Japan rose 3.2% from a year earlier in March, compared with 4.9% inflation in the U.S. in April.

In the January-March period, private consumption in Japan increased 0.6% from the previous quarter. Government travel subsidies boosted spending on hotels and restaurants.

Economy Minister Shigeyuki Goto said the economy would likely continue a modest recovery, supported by higher wages and corporate investment.

“We will realise sustainable economic growth led by private demand,” he said.

In another positive sign, the number of foreign tourists is quickly approaching the pre pandemic level, and those tourists are spending more than they did before the pandemic.

Spending per international visitor in the January-March quarter was ¥212,000, equivalent to $1,553. That was 44% more than the average visitor spent in the same period in 2019, according to the Japan Tourism Agency.

While domestic spending is likely to stay healthy this summer, the risk of slower growth in the U.S., China and elsewhere looms over the Japanese economy.

“Goods exports and production will struggle so long as the global economy flirts with recession,” said Stefan Angrick, an economist at Moody’s Analytics.

Japan’s exports dropped 4.2% in the first quarter from the one before it due to slowing growth abroad triggered by monetary tightening in the U.S. and other countries as well as weaker chip demand.

From late 2026 and into 2027, PONANT Explorations Group will base two ships in French Polynesia, offering travellers a choice between a culturally immersive classic and a far more exploratory deep-Pacific experience.

The move builds on more than 25 years of operating in the region with the iconic m/s Paul Gauguin, while introducing the expedition-focused Le Jacques Cartier to venture into lesser-known waters.

Together, the two vessels will cover all five Polynesian archipelagos — the Society, Tuamotu, Austral, Gambier and Marquesas Islands — as well as the remote Pitcairn Islands.

THE PAUL GAUGUIN: CULTURAL IMMERSION, POLYNESIAN STYLE

Long regarded as the benchmark for cruising in French Polynesia, m/s Paul Gauguin will remain based year-round in the region.

Renovated in 2025, the ship continues to focus on relaxed, culturally rich journeys with extended port stays designed to allow guests to experience daily life across the islands.

A defining feature of the onboard experience is the presence of the Gauguins and Gauguines — Polynesian hosts who share local traditions through music, dance and hands-on workshops, including weaving and craft demonstrations.

The atmosphere is deliberately intimate and internationally minded, catering to travellers seeking depth rather than distance.

Across the 2026–27 seasons, the ship will operate 66 departures, primarily across the Society Islands, Tuamotu and Marquesas, with select voyages extending to Fiji, Tonga and the Cook Islands.

LE JACQUES CARTIER: EXPLORATION AT THE EDGE

Le Jacques Cartier introduces a more adventurous dimension to PONANT’s Polynesian offering, with itineraries focused on the least visited corners of the South Pacific.

The ship will debut three new “Discovery” itineraries, each 14 nights in length, which can also be combined into a single, extended 42-night voyage — the most comprehensive Polynesian itinerary currently available.

In total, the combined journey spans six archipelagos, 23 islands and the Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory rarely included on cruise itineraries.

Unlike the Paul Gauguin’s cultural focus, Le Jacques Cartier centres on exploration.

Each day includes one guided activity led by local experts, with excursions conducted via tenders, local boats and zodiacs. Scuba diving is available on board, supported by a resident instructor.

Across the 2026–27 period, the ship will operate nine departures, offering a deliberately limited and low-impact presence in some of the Pacific’s most isolated communities.

THREE NEW DISCOVERY ITINERARIES

The new itineraries aboard Le Jacques Cartier include:

– Secret Polynesia: Unexplored Tuamotu, the Gambier Islands and the Austral Islands
– From Confidential French Polynesia to Pitcairn Island
– Polynesian Bliss: Marquesas and Tuamotu

Each voyage departs from Papeete, with prices starting from $15,840 per person.

SCOUTING THE PACIFIC’S MOST REMOTE COMMUNITIES

In preparation for the new itineraries, PONANT Explorations Group undertook extensive scouting across the Austral and Tuamotu Islands to develop activities in collaboration with local communities.

José Sarica, the group’s R&D Expedition Experience Director, worked directly with residents to design experiences including welcome ceremonies, cultural workshops and visits to marae, the region’s sacred open-air temples.

Six new ports of call have been confirmed as part of this process, spanning both the Tuamotu and Austral archipelagos.

SIX NEW PORTS OF CALL CONFIRMED

New stopovers include:

– Mataiva, known for its rare mosaic lagoon
– Hikueru, home to one of the largest lagoons in the Tuamotus
– Makemo, noted for its red-footed boobies and frigatebirds
– Raivavae, famed for its crystal-clear lagoon pools
– Tubuai, rich in marae and spiritual heritage
– Rurutu, known for limestone caves and seasonal humpback whale sightings

A DUAL EXPERIENCE, ONE DESTINATION

By pairing its long-established cultural voyages with expedition-led exploration, PONANT Explorations Group is positioning French Polynesia not as a single experience, but as two distinct journeys — one grounded in tradition and comfort, the other pushing into the furthest reaches of the Pacific.

For travellers seeking either immersion or discovery, the South Pacific is about to feel both familiar and entirely new.