JAPAN. Outbound traffic in April rose for the first time in two years, according to preliminary figures from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Travel Journal International (TJI) Online* reported this week.
The provisional monthly figure reached 1,196,000, up +1.08% – the first year-on-year increase in a calendar month since April 2007.
JNTO said several factors drove the increase, notably cuts of over -80% in airline fuel surcharges starting in April. Demand was also boosted by what TJI described as an “ideal line-up of national holidays” as part of the Golden Week period running from the end of April to the first week of May.
Figures may have been slightly dampened, however, by concerns over the swine flu outbreak in various travel markets such as Mexico and the US.
Despite the encouraging April numbers, TJI said there is much uncertainty over likely travel levels for the balance of the year. “It remains unclear how demand will be from now and leading into the summer holidays – considered the busiest period for overseas travel – as some major wholesalers have already reported significant drops in bookings by as much as -30% through July,” it said.
In the first four months of 2009, outbound traffic was off by -4.06% to 5,147,161, TJI reported.
Inbound travel hit by Korean slump
The inbound traffic numbers, however, offered a much less encouraging picture. Overall traffic from overseas in April was down by -19.56% to 626,600.
While major source markets such as South Korea (113,300, -44.4%), Taiwan (91,300, -35.2%) and the US (61,700, -10.8%) posted steep falls, others did well. China showed a +3.8% increase to 106,900 while Hong Kong boasted a +23.6% year-on-year surge to 45,000. The UK generated a 6.6% rise to 20,200 and France rose by +2.8% to 17,419.
In the first four months of 2009 inbound tourism fell steeply, down -25.2% to 2,184,801.
*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.
MORE STORIES ON JAPANESE TRAVEL
Leading Japanese airlines buoyed by strong travel numbers in Golden Week holiday period – 14/05/09
Slashing of fuel surcharges to drive second-quarter surge in Japanese outbound travel – 23/04/09
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