JAPAN. This year’s Golden Week holiday period (24 April to 4 May) will see a slump in outbound Japanese travel, due to the country’s recent earthquake and tsunami disaster and subsequent nuclear crisis, according to Travel Journal International (TJI) Online*.
Citing the latest Golden Week 2011 Trends released by JTB Corp, TJI reported that the number of Japanese heading overseas during the country’s traditional peak vacationing period will reach 431,000, off -16.63% compared to 2010. That total will be the lowest since 2003 (234,000) when the SARS health threat affected travel demand seriously.
The tally of domestic travellers will reach 15,659,000, off -by 27.81%.
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Shopping numbers at locations like Centrair Duty Free at Chubu International Airport will be hit hard this holiday season |
Higher fuel surcharges are also hitting outbound travel demand. TJI noted the following increases in such payments in April 2011 compared to a year ago:
– South Korea: Â¥3,000 from Â¥1,000
– Guam: Â¥10,000 from Â¥6,000
– Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore: Â¥17,000 from Â¥8,000
– Hawaii: Â¥22,000 from Â¥12,000
– Oceania, North America, Europe: Â¥35,000 from Â¥ 21,000
“A family of four heading to Hawaii would be required to pay Â¥88,000 compared to Â¥48,000 a year ago, nearly the price of a round-trip ticket,” TJI commented.
Travel to Asia will fall some -18.75% to 260,000 while Hawaii will decrease by -18.42% to 31,000.
The count heading to Guam-Saipan will reach 25,000, off -16.67%, with travel to the US mainland tallying 38,000, down -9.52%. Oceania will welcome -27.78% fewer arrivals at 13,000.
More positively, Europe will welcome some 60,000 Japanese travellers during the Golden Week period, just -3.23% lower than the count a year ago, making it the strongest among major destinations this season, TJI said.
MARCH DECLINE IN OUTBOUND TRAVEL
The number of Japanese heading overseas in March fell -17.98% from a year ago to 1,282,000, reflecting the “overwhelming mood of self-restraint among Japanese, discouraging activities such as travel”, said TJI.
The drop marked the first year-on-year decline since September 2010 (-3.12%) and also the first double-digit fall since June 2009 (-25.52%).
Traffic to some destinations, however, remained strong. Vietnam welcomed some 43,500 Japanese in March, up +9.99% while Thailand saw a +3.14% rise to 99,668.
Between January and March, the tally of Japanese outbound travellers totalled 3,951,348, down -4.03% year-on-year.
INBOUND TRAVEL IN FREEFALL
Meanwhile, the estimated number of foreign travellers visiting Japan in March 2011 plunged some -50.29% from a year earlier to 352,800, TJI reported, citing the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO).
The figure in the first 11 days of the month before the earthquake and tsunami was ahead some +4% year-on-year but the count from March 12 to March 30 plunged some -73% – the greatest fall in 50 years.
The number of visitors from South Korea, the largest source market, fell -47.36% to 89,100, while that from China, the second-largest market, sank -49.31% to 62,500.
*Editor’s note: The Moodie Report works closely with TJI Online, the largest English-language travel trade news source in Japan. Week in, week out, it provides timely and sharp analysis of the all-important Japanese travel market – international and domestic. To subscribe please visit https://tji.tjnet.co.jp. It comes with our highest recommendation.
