JAPAN. According to provisional figures released by the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO), between January and May some 6,984,647 Japanese travelled abroad, up +0.46% from the same period a year earlier.
In May, departures grew +8.8% to 1,373,000 as more consumers opted to travel in May rather than April, which posted a -2.8% dip. One reason is that the early part of May, which is part of the Golden Week period, offered a combination of national holidays with a weekend to allow travellers to take more vacation with little or no time off work.
JNTO also explained that the increase could be a rebound from May 2005 when departures dropped in response to anti-Japanese sentiments seen in China and South Korea, the two biggest destinations for Japanese visitors.
It added that the May 27, 2006 earthquake in Java, Indonesia could have tempered some demand during the month.
This year, the Japan Association of Travel Agents has set 18 million as the target of overseas travellers. If achieved, that figure would set an all-time high. The current record is 17,818,590 set in 2000. In 2005, some 17,403,565 people from Japan went abroad, making it the second-highest count in history.
World Cup tours to Europe and the boom in travel following the Da Vinci Code craze are expected to help stimulate travel in June and July and for the summer months.
MORE STORIES ON JAPANESE TRAVEL
Japanese arrivals to South Korea post first increase in over a year – 28/06/06
Golden Week buoys Kansai traffic but year to date still shows declines – 22/06/06
