Inbound, Expat, and Domestic Climbers: A Segment-Based Expenditure Analysis of Mount Fuji's Summer Season

The numbers of postmillennium international tourists to Japan have increased exponentially, and behavioral differences compared to domestic visitors pose challenges for management. Despite this practical need, few studies have focused on expenditure comparison of existing and emerging visitor segments. This analysis of Mount Fuji's 2008 summer season investigates consumer behavior of inbound tourists, expatriates, and domestic segments via an intercept survey of 927 descending climbers. Findings show that domestic climbers, who preferred package tour or car access, had the highest total expenditure (¥17,190), followed by expats (¥13,500), predominantly young males that made fewer mountain hut stays. Inbound climbers spent the least (¥9,818), tending to use public transport to access Fuji as one destination on a broader vacation itinerary. Following Fuji's UNESCO World Heritage listing and the subsequent introduction of a ¥1,000 (US$10) donation for climbers in 2013, this article provides retrospective, microlevel insights into consumer behavior among Fuji's diversifying segments.