Japanese Travelers

JAL Group LCC ZIPAIR sells optional PCR test package to passengers on it Narita-Honolulu flights, which will be launched on December 19, to ensure their travel confidence.

Users for the Japanese government’s leading domestic travel recovery initiative ‘ Go To Travel’ reached about 52.6 million by November 15. For the half a month by November 15 only, about 8.25 million users increased.

Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (OCVB) targets 3.7 million arrivals in FY2020 and 6.7 million domestic arrivals and 300,000 international arrivals in FY2021, supposing that the current COVID-19 condition including travel restrictions, will improve.

The number of Japanese overseas travelers was down 98.1% year on year to 31,000 in October 2020, as the reduction rates of international flights and available seats were unchanged from the previous month.

Japanese LCC Peach Aviation offers an antigen test opportunity to a passenger at test fee of 3,000 JPY on domestic Kansai-Miyazaki and Kansai-Amami routes. Peach expects to verify how the test is effective to improve travelers’ confidences.

ANA will increase Haneda-Honolulu services in this coming December and during the New Year holiday period, following start of pre-test program for Japanese travelers by State of Hawaii.

The total number of Japanese guest nights was down 37.4% year on year to 25.3 million in September 2020, improving from a 51.8% reduction in August 2020, and the average occupancy rate was still low with 35.6%, but improved from 31.9% in August 2020.

Japanese guest nights in Kyoto City were down 23.9% in September 2020 year on year, but the monthly result recovered well to the 80% level a year ago. The average occupancy rate was 33.0%, 10.2 points higher than August (22.8%).

The latest survey of the well-known guidebook shows that 30.4% of the total said that they hope to go abroad ‘after July 2021,' and 35.8% said that they will reselect a destination. Also, an interesting finding is that 35.8% answered that they hesitate to travel abroad if a test is charged.

The number of Japanese overseas travelers was down 98.2% year on year to 31,600 in September 2020, considerably reducing from 1.75 million a year ago. After October, business tracks between Japan and several Asian countries started.

Digital Native Generation in Japan is positive in new normal life amid COVID-19, saying like ‘Everything can be done with digital in my life (58.9%), while many answers are found in 'not keeping enjoying online services replacing real experiences.'

Domestic travel consumption by Japanese travelers was down 83.3% year on year to 1,004 billion JPY in the second quarter of 2020 under the state of emergency declaration, which was lifted on May 25.

Japanese overseas travelers was down 98.2% year on year to 37,100 in August 2020 amid the Infection Warning Level 3 (Do not travel).

KNT-CT has started selling ‘’E’Vacation,’ an innovative product using electric vehicle (EV) in cooperation with Nissan in Kanagawa and Shizuoka, taking advantage of the Nissan’s car sharing service ‘NISSAN e-share mobi.’

Interests in Workcation has been rising among Japanese workers since the pandemic stops their routine works, however it is true that both employees and employers have several challenges to do it.

Japanese overseas travelers was down 98.8% year on year to 20,300 in July 2020, but the monthly result doubled from 10,666 in June 2020.

According to the Expedia’s survey on paid holiday in 19 countries and regions, Japan is the world’s top country acquiring ‘multiple short paid holidays' with the ratio of 51%, much higher than 34% in US (2nd). More than half of Japanese also wish paid holidays every month.

The JTB Report 2020, analyzing the outbound travel market of Japan in 2019, illustrates major reasons for the record-breaking result, and some of the trends are likely to continue even after COVID-19 ends.

The ratio of ‘no travel plan’ for this summer vacation accounts for 62%, and even domestic travel planners reduce by 22.1 points year on year to 26.6% maybe because many people still worry about spread of COVID-19.

HIS has started selling overseas package tour ‘Social Travel’ series with thorough precautions against COVID-19, which will be performed after October 2020 following lifting of the current restrictions in both Japan and destinations.