More Japanese plan local, overseas trips during year-end holiday

More Japanese are planning domestic and overseas trips during this year-end holiday season compared with last year.

A survey by the JTB travel agency indicates that 38.8 million people plan domestic trips of one night or more between December 20 and January 5. That’s up 2 percent from a year earlier.

The agency, Japan’s biggest, says the way the holidays fall this year allows travelers to take longer excursions.

However, 35.8 percent of those surveyed say they plan just a two-day trip due to higher costs. The survey is based on transport and hotel reservations.

The biggest increase is seen for overseas travel, which is forecast to jump 31.5 percent to 1 million people.

Reservations have dipped for nearby destinations such as South Korea and Taiwan, but bookings for Hawaii and Europe have increased.

Overall, the agency says travel demand is increasing despite the weaker yen adding to the cost of overseas trips and inflation pushing up hotel prices at home.