On April 2, JTB (Japan Travel Bureau) announced its forecast for travel trends during Japan’s Golden Week holiday period (April 25 to May 7). Backed by favorable calendar alignment and steady travel enthusiasm, both the total number of travelers and the number of overseas travelers are expected to exceed the previous year’s figures.
The total number of travelers is estimated at 24.47 million (up 1.9% year on year), with total travel spending projected at 1.2876 trillion yen (up 1.1%). For domestic travel within Japan, the number of travelers is expected to reach 23.9 million (up 1.7%), the average planned travel budget will be 46,000 yen (down 2.1%), and total travel spending is forecast at 1.0994 trillion yen (down 0.5%). For overseas travel, the number of travelers is projected at 572,000 (up 8.5%), the average planned travel budget is 329,000 yen (up 2.2%), and total travel spending is expected to reach 188.2 billion yen (up 10.9%).
Domestic travel in Japan is characterized mainly by short trips to nearby destinations using private cars. The most common trip length is “1 night and 2 days” (39.9%), which increased by 6.4 percentage points from the previous year, while trips of two nights or more decreased across the board, clearly indicating a trend toward shorter stays. The main purposes of travel are “spending time with family” (28.5%), followed by “enjoying local food and regional specialties” (25.9%), and “relaxing and taking it easy” (24.8%).
Regarding transportation, “private car” (54.6%) is the most common means and increased by 3.7 percentage points, while “low-cost carriers (LCCs)” (5.5%) also rose by 1.4 points. In contrast, use of “JR Shinkansen (bullet trains)” and “JR conventional lines/private railways” has decreased, indicating a tendency to choose more economical transportation options. A similar saving mindset is seen in accommodation choices: stays at “parents’ or relatives’ homes” (20.1%) increased by 1.4 points, while both hotels and traditional Japanese inns (ryokan) have declined.
Overseas travel is expected to surpass last year’s level, supported by the recovery of international flights and favorable calendar conditions. South Korea, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia are particularly popular, and long-haul destinations are also performing steadily. The most common destination is “South Korea” (25.0%), followed by “Taiwan” (16.3%), with Southeast Asia accounting for 17.5% and Asia as a whole making up 79.0%. In terms of growth rate, regions such as “the United States and Canada (North America),” “Europe,” and “Australia and New Zealand” all show double-digit increases. Although “3 nights and 4 days” (25.2%) remains the most common travel length, it has decreased by 4.0 percentage points from the previous year, while “4 nights and 5 days” (16.8%) and “5 nights and 6 days” (16.8%) have increased.
Travel is also becoming more spread out before and after the core Golden Week holidays, and the trend toward dispersing travel periods continues as work styles become more flexible. The main reasons cited for not traveling include crowding, high costs, and a lack of room in household budgets.
