KEY POINTSJTB ranks Hawaii first for overseas summer 2026 bookings and Okinawa first for domestic travel without escortsSingapore rises to second in overseas independent travel, while Italy leads escorted overseas tours and Tohoku tops escorted domestic tripsPeak departures cluster around Aug. 9 for overseas travel, July 18 for domestic independent trips and Aug. 2-4 for escorted domestic tours
JTB’s 2026 summer travel rankings for overseas destinations without tour guides. Note: Japanese text in the original image from press release has been translated into English by our editorial team.
JTB
JTB has released its rankings of the most popular overseas and domestic destinations for Japan’s 2026 summer holiday season, with Hawaii topping overseas travel bookings without tour escorts and Okinawa leading domestic trips in the same category.
The rankings cover departures from July 15 to Aug. 31 and are based on JTB bookings as of June 5. For overseas travel without escorts, Singapore rose to second place from fourth a year earlier, followed by Guam, South Korea and the United States. Hawaii retained the top spot from last year.
Singapore drew strong support particularly from families because of its short time difference from Japan, broad food options and concentration of modern tourist facilities. Guam ranked third as a short-haul resort destination, while South Korea remained popular among travelers seeking food, shopping and K-pop-related travel.
The United States ranked fifth among overseas trips without escorts. The U.S. West Coast was especially popular, and couples accounted for about 20% of bookings to the country. Travel tied to Major League Baseball games has gained traction, supported by the performances of Japanese players.
For escorted overseas tours, European destinations dominated. Italy ranked first for a second straight year, followed by Spain and Portugal, with Switzerland rising from last year to take third place. About 30% of Italy bookings were by honeymooners, while families and couples together accounted for about 80% of bookings to Switzerland.
JTB also pointed to increased attention on Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, where the main tower dedicated to Jesus Christ is scheduled for completion in 2026, 100 years after architect Antoni Gaudi’s death.
Peak departure dates for overseas travel were concentrated just before Japan’s Obon holiday period. For non-escorted overseas trips, Aug. 9 was the busiest departure date, followed by Aug. 8 and Aug. 11. For escorted overseas travel, Aug. 9 ranked first and Aug. 7 second.
In domestic travel without escorts, Okinawa remained the most popular destination, followed by Hokkaido and the Kanto region. Families accounted for about 80% of domestic non-escorted travel bookings. The top departure date in that category was July 18, coinciding with the three-day holiday around Marine Day. Additional peak dates were Aug. 9 and Aug. 11.
For escorted domestic travel, Tohoku ranked first for a second consecutive year, driven by tours centered on the region’s summer festivals. Departures in that category were concentrated from Aug. 2 to Aug. 4, aligning with the peak festival season.
JTB said the survey covered applicants for the company’s package travel products. Overseas rankings were based on traveler numbers, while domestic rankings were based on sales value. The products covered were JTB MySTYLE, Look JTB and Tabimonogatari for domestic and overseas travel.
AloJapan.com