HIS (H.I.S. Co., Ltd.), a major Japanese travel agency, has compiled the travel booking trends for Japan’s Golden Week holiday period (April 24 to May 6).
The number of overseas travel bookings increased significantly, up 26.7% year-on-year, with the average spending per person rising 4.3% to 218,400 yen. The most popular departure date was May 2, followed by April 29 and May 1. By region, Asia drove overall demand, with East Asia accounting for 41.2% of all bookings and ranking as the most popular destination. Europe also performed well, with bookings up 34.2% year-on-year, while the Middle East and surrounding regions saw a 17.4% decline due to the impact of the geopolitical situation there.
The top overseas destinations were Seoul, Taipei, Honolulu, and Bangkok in that order. Jeju Island surged into fifth place. One contributing factor is believed to be the planned calls of large cruise ships on multiple dates. Cruises departing from and returning to Japan were particularly strong, up 254.1% year-on-year.
Domestic travel bookings grew even more strongly, rising 38.3% year-on-year, outpacing overseas travel. The average spending per person decreased 2.5% year-on-year to 92,600 yen. As with overseas trips, May 2 was the most popular departure date, followed by May 3 and April 29.
Among the top 10 domestic destinations, all prefectures except Osaka Prefecture—which benefited from special demand related to last year’s Expo—recorded higher booking numbers than the previous year. Okinawa Prefecture ranked first, with bookings up 49.1% year-on-year. Despite having a relatively high average spending of 106,600 yen among the top destinations, travel appetite to Okinawa remains strong.
This year’s Golden Week in Japan features a favorable calendar, with weekends and national holidays overlapping in May to create a five-day break. Travelers who take four weekdays off using paid leave can enjoy up to 12 consecutive days off, which is believed to be boosting travel demand.
The survey was conducted on March 23 and targeted customers who booked tours, dynamic packages, or airline tickets with HIS departing during the Golden Week period.
