Japanese travel agency H.I.S. (HIS) has compiled travel trends based on reservation data for the 2026 summer vacation period (July 17 to August 31) and Silver Week (September 18 to 23).
For overseas travel, although the number of summer vacation bookings fell 5.8% year-on-year, demand during Silver Week increased, resulting in a combined rise of 2.5% for the two periods. The average spend per person climbed 12% year-on-year to 229,300 yen, believed to be influenced by higher fuel surcharges and an increase in Japan’s International Tourist Tax.
For domestic travel within Japan, the number of summer vacation bookings decreased 4.2% year-on-year, and fell 1.7% year-on-year when combined with Silver Week. The average spend per person was 91,400 yen, up 0.4% year-on-year, remaining almost flat compared to the previous year.
For overseas travel during the summer vacation period, the Oceania region performed strongly with a 14.6% year-on-year increase. Australia in particular saw high popularity, with major cities such as Cairns (up 15.9%), Sydney (up 25.1%), and Brisbane (up 31.9%) all exceeding last year’s figures. Behind this trend are factors such as the historically weak Japanese yen and soaring fuel surcharges, leading to a clear shift toward cities served by airlines, including low-cost carriers (LCCs), where fuel surcharge burdens can be kept down. Reservations for destinations in Southeast Asia are also surging, including Singapore (up 22.8% year-on-year), Da Nang (up 25.6%), Hanoi (up 36.9%), and Ho Chi Minh City (up 26.9%).
During Silver Week, the presence of a five-day consecutive holiday has driven significant growth in travel to major Asian cities and nearby resort destinations. While Seoul and Taipei continue to rank among the top destinations, reservations for Singapore (up 191.9%) and Bangkok (up 495%) are increasing sharply. This appears to reflect the benefit of the five-day holiday for medium-haul destinations that were previously difficult to visit during Japan’s typically shorter breaks. Cities with well-developed LCC networks are particularly popular, suggesting that a cost-performance-focused travel style has become established, in which travelers save on airfares and allocate more of their budget to hotels, meals, and activities.
For domestic travel within Japan, Okinawa Prefecture and Hokkaido continue to lead overall demand, while destinations in the Kyushu region such as Nagasaki Prefecture, Kagoshima Prefecture, Fukuoka Prefecture, and Oita Prefecture are also ranking high across the board. Reservations, particularly for dynamic packages (customizable flight-and-hotel packages), are increasing significantly. Osaka Prefecture dropped in the rankings due to a recoil from the demand generated by the Kansai Expo held last year.
Regarding the timing of domestic travel bookings, “May” and “June” remain the most common months, but their share of total bookings has declined compared to the same months a year earlier. There is a consistent year-on-year increase in the share of bookings made between January and April. HIS analyzes that, with rising prices and the spread of dynamic pricing, the trend that “the closer it gets to the departure date, the more travel costs tend to surge” has become widely recognized, and that earlier booking behavior is becoming established.
