More people in Japan planning to travel abroad during summer

A major Japanese travel agency says more people are likely to leave the country to travel abroad over the summer this year than last year.

JTB based its forecast on a survey, flight reservations and other data.

It says some 2.44 million people will go abroad for at least one night between July 15 and August 31. That’s up 20.8 percent from last summer.

The agency says the yen’s depreciation has somewhat slowed and summer bonuses are on an upward trend, helping to encourage more overseas travel.

South Korea and Europe are the most popular destinations, followed by Taiwan and Southeast Asia. The US mainland is also gaining popularity.

Compared to domestic travel, overseas travel had been slow to recover after the pandemic. But, the agency says, if its projections come true, international trips are expected to recover to about 90 percent of the pre-pandemic 10-year average.

JTB also forecasts that 72.2 million people will go on domestic trips this summer, up 0.3 percent from last year.

The agency says overseas travel demand has clearly recovered. It adds that travel styles are diversifying and that destinations are spreading, not only to Asia but also Europe and the United States, as more people are willing to spend time and money to travel further.