Japan's National Tourism Organization recently reported that the count of outbound Japanese travelers during the initial ten months has surged almost fourfold from the previous year. However, this growth rate is only about half the pace witnessed in Japanese international travel in 2019.
Experts in the travel industry attribute this trend to the yen depreciation. In 2019, one could exchange 110 yen for a dollar, but the exchange rate is around 143 yen — a slight improvement from a month ago. Nevertheless, compared to the pre-pandemic period, it translates to an effective increase akin to a 30% tax on all expenditures.
Despite this, there is an uptick in bookings for Japanese international travel during the New Year period. H.I.S, a Japanese travel agency, revealed that reservations indicate a preference for closer-to-home destinations this year.
According to figures quoted by The Yomiuri Shimbun from the agency, Seoul emerges as the top destination, with Taipei following closely as the runner-up.The third-place finisher is the destination that used to make the top spot for Japanese travelers in the years before the pandemic — Honolulu.
Japanese Travel Trends: Surge in Outbound Tourism Amidst Weaker Yen and Post-COVID Rebound
News in Asia
More Japanese citizens are opting to travel abroad compared to a year ago, although the numbers still reflect a significant decrease from the pre-COVID era.