JAPAN. Japanese outbound travel numbers are expected to hit between 18.8 million and 19 million in 2012, more than +10% up on last year’s outbound total of 16.99 million.
That’s according to JTB Foundation, which held its annual symposium, Outbound Tourism 2012, on 24 July.
Outbound travel has increased month-on-month since July 2011, as Japanese consumers have recovered confidence following the disasters of 11 March, 2011.
The JTB Foundation said that travel demand rebounded quickly, faster than after past crises such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks, SARS and the 2009 financial crisis. One reason it cited was the psychological impact of the quake-related disasters, which may have subconsciously boosted the desire to travel.
JTB Foundation said that the rate of departures from Japan so far this year has set new records especially among younger travellers, especially women in their 20s.
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Outbound Japanese seating capacity will continue to grow, thanks to the expansion in international flights at Haneda Airport in central Tokyo |
A key point was that the quake-related disasters led to a change in the young generation’s sense of values regarding overseas travel, and a renewed focus on family and friends.
The number of passports issued is on the rise in all age groups, with no signs of slowing down, it said.
Seating capacity will continue to grow, thanks to the expansion in international flights at Haneda Airport in central Tokyo since October 2010.
Thanks to the strong exchange rate of the Japanese Yen against global currencies, the purchasing power of consumers will continue, fuelling more demand to head overseas, noted JTB Foundation.
Opportunities to travel at lower costs are being boosted by the entry of low-cost carriers into Japan, a development that will further generate traffic to nearby destinations, particularly within a four-hour flight time. As more LCCs enter the Japanese market, offering attractive prices, demand is expected to follow.
Panellists at the event said that the LCC market would create new types of travel for shopping, culture and heritage-based travel to short-haul overseas destinations, plus travelling for the purpose of visiting friends and relatives at far lower prices than current budgets allow.
With the rise of new services by LCCs, these patterns are expected to develop in Japan, with many more short-break trips planned.
JTB Foundation said that the count of outbound travellers would reach 20 million by 2014.
*Note: Adrian (Edo) Mangiboyat is Market Intelligence Editor at Mile Post Consultants, a leading tourism marketing company in Japan.
