World's 'most favorite country' tops list of destinations tourists want to revisit

By Hoang Phong September 7, 2025 | 07:14 pm PT

Foreign visitors on a street in Japan. Photo by AFP

Japan, named the "world's most favorite country" last year by Condé Nast Traveler readers, has come out on top as the destination tourists most want to revisit, driven by its cuisine and high-quality products, a survey shows.

As many as 52.7% of respondents said they would return to visit Japan, according to an online poll conducted by major advertising agency Dentsu Inc. that asked travelers from 20 economies who had visited multiple countries where they would most like to return.

South Korea came in second at 20%, followed by the U.S. at 16.6%.

Japanese food and products were cited as the strongest motivations for a return trip, The Mainichi newspaper reported, citing the survey results.

The most popular convenience store items among respondents were sushi (46.9%) and ice cream (45.1%), followed by rice balls and sweets (43.3%).

The survey, conducted between May and June, drew responses from 12,400 individuals in Australia, Britain, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and the U.S.

A weaker yen, relaxed travel restrictions, and aggressive tourism campaigns have fueled the surge in foreign arrivals to Japan.

Japan recorded more than 36.8 million visitors last year.

In the first half of 2025 alone, it received a record 21.5 million foreign arrivals, up 21% from a year earlier.