JTB forecasts record Japanese travel in 2001

Print Article E-Mail Article

A record high 18.39m Japanese are forecast to take overseas trips this year according to the leading Japanese travel agency JTB (Japan Travel Bureau). This represents growth of 4.1% on 2000, and is the third consecutive year of increase said the company.

A total 349.7m Japanese are forecast to take either domestic or international trips, representing an increase of 2.9%. Domestic holidays are expected to rise by 2.8%, aided partly by visitors to theme parks to be opened in the Tokyo and Osaka areas.

However the slow recovery of personal consumption is expected to have an impact and individual spending on trips is likely to inch down by 0.5% to Y50,000 ($430) per visitor. Total Japanese tourism expenditure should nevertheless rise for the first time in four years by 2.4% to around Y17.5 trillion ($150.7bn), JTB said. According to JTB figures, Japanese spend 23.1% of this total travel budget on shopping.

Inbound travel to Japan will also receive a boost because of preparations for the 2002 World Cup Finals and the number exchange visits between co-hosts Japan and South Korea. JTB forecasts that Japan will receive 5.08m international visitors this year; up 7.2% and topping 5m for the first time.