JAPAN/EUROPE. Japanese visitors to Europe fell by an average -11.8% year-on-year in each of the first three months of 2009, according to European Cities Tourism, whose figures (compiled from Europe’s national tourist offices) were reported by Travel Journal International (TJI) Online. Japanese travellers generated -16.4% fewer bed nights in the same period.
But Japan is proving a more robust market than many others, according to European Cities Tourism. The US market posted a drop in arrivals of -21.5%, and -18.6% fewer bed nights. UK arrivals to mainland Europe were down -16.7%, with a -16.3% drop in bed nights.
TJI Online said: “With the big cutbacks of more than -80% in the fuel surcharge from April (and elimination of such surcharges from July), traffic is expected to pick up especially for the summer season.
“Economic uncertainty in Japan and the impact of the H1N1 virus, which was raised to the pandemic level last week by the World Health Organization (WHO), could play a role in how demand develops over the next few months. Also, pent-up demand among consumers could spur travel as was the case in 2003 when SARS and the (second) Gulf War began.”
In Q1 Zürich posted a healthy +13% leap in Japanese arrivals. Vienna handled -7.6% fewer arrivals from Japan, with the popular town of Salzburg off by -23.3%. The Germany cities of Berlin (-17% through February) and Munich (-7.2% through March) saw fewer arrivals. Helsinki posted a -19.8% drop in arrivals in the first quarter.
In related news, final figures for 2008 showed that only a handful of cities visited by the Japanese posted increases due to the high fuel surcharge, the weak Japanese Yen and weaker consumer demand, according to TJI.
In 2008 Paris had -12.6% fewer arrivals to 551,179, generating some 1,449,663 nights, down by -12.3% for the year. The biggest increases in bed nights were in secondary cities – Bonn (Germany), Bregenz, Eisenstadt, Graz and St. Polten, all in Austria; and Reims (France), Tampere (Finland) and Valencia (Spain).
The European Cities Tourism figures also showed strong gains from emerging cities with World Heritage Site attractions such as Dubrovnik and Zagreb, both in Croatia; and Bratislava (Slovakia) and Ljubljana (Slovenia).
MORE STORIES ON JAPANESE TRAVEL
JTB Corp estimates sales losses of US$156 million as Japanese travellers react to swine flu threat – 03/06/09
Japanese outbound traffic rises in April for the first time in two years but Korean slump drives inbound decline – 27/05/09
Leading Japanese airlines buoyed by strong travel numbers in Golden Week holiday period – 14/05/09
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