Japan Domestic Travel

‘Go To Travel,’ the Japan’s domestic travel recovery initiative, was used by 68.5 billion guest nights from the opening day of July 11 to the end of November, and a budget used for the initiative totaled about 406.3 billion JPY at least.

JTB Tourism Research & Consulting has calculated losses of 9.6 million travelers and 318.7 billion JPY in travel consumption due to the tentative suspension. Japanese domestic travelers during 2020-2021 New Year holiday period is expected to reduce by 73% to 7.9 million from 29.3 million a year ago.

The Japanese government decided to suspend the domestic travel recovery initiative ‘Go To Travel’ nationwide until January 11 to make all efforts to stop infection spread. Compensation of cancellations for travel operators is up to 50% of the booked travel price.

Japanese guest nights in Kyoto City in October 2020 were up 2.2% year on year, the first monthly growth in the past 13 months since September 2019, and the average occupancy rate was also up 8.2 point to 41.0% compared to September, marking the first 40% or higher since Declaration of the State of Emergency.

Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) is developing ‘decentralized travel’ campaign as a New Normal traveling style. Using the special logo, travel operators are developing their original campaigns, creating decentralized travel-themed products and offering reward opportunities.

The Japanese government has decided to extend 'Go To Travel' to the end of June next year from originally January 31 2021 and also to receive small group inbound travelers step by step toward Tokyo Olympics next summer.

The Japanese government decided to exclude Osaka City and Sapporo City as destinations from the domestic travel recovery initiative 'Go To Travel' by December 15 2020 because COVID-19 cases have rapidly been increasing.

JTB has started selling the subscription-typed resort working program in Okinawa, which allows you to use a hotel, co-working places, rent-a-car, delivery of baggage and flights to resort islands for a year whenever you want to, by paying 30,000 JPY.

The number of guest nights for Japanese domestic travel recovery initiative ‘Go To Travel’ reached 39.8 million by the end of October, and the average supported amount by the government was 4,743 JPY a traveler a night.

Guest nights of the government’s domestic travel recovery initiative ‘Go To Travel’ reached about 31.4 million in the period between the launch day of July 22 and October 15 2020, doubling from 16.9 million announced on September 15.

NAVITIME Japan surveyed what Tokyo residents searched for their travels after Tokyo was added in the government’s domestic travel recovery campaign ‘Go To Travel' in comparison between the first weekend of October and the first weekend of September. The most-searched prefecture for public transportation was Ishikawa.

Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) staff themselves experienced Workcation in Hokkaido to translate their experiences into policymaking for Workcation.

Japanese influential economy body Keidanren or Japan Business Federation is addressing promotion of Workcation in Japan, working together with Japan Travel and Tourism Association and Workcation Alliance Japan.

According to NAVITIME Japan, the most popular destination was ‘Gotemba Premium Outlet Mall’ in Shizuoka, followed by ‘Tottori Sand Dunes’ in Tottori and ‘Nikko Toshogu’ in Tochigi in big 'Sliver Week' holiday, based on driving navigation service data.

The total number of guest nights for the Japanese government’s domestic travel recovery campaign ‘Go To Travel’ has reached 16.9 million for the first two months, and a budget of about 73.5 billion JPY has been used so far.

The total number of guest nights was down 58.4% year on year to 26.3 million in August 2020 (preliminary report). The monthly result of Japanese guest nights worsened from a 47.9% reduction in July 2020 with no positive effect yet from Go To Travel campaign.

Domestic travel consumption by Japanese travelers was down 83.3% year on year to 1,004 billion JPY in the second quarter of 2020 under the state of emergency declaration, which was lifted on May 25.

TripAdvisor survey illustrates that 45% of Japanese travelers plan driving, outdoor or nature travels in this autumn, and among them, the most popular destination is Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture.

Local bus and tour operator in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture launches a new package product incorporating PCR testing in tie-ups with a local clinic to ensure safer travel and confidence in traveling.

The trend survey of Nikkei BP, a business magazine publisher, finds that the index score of ‘Workcation’ is rapidly rising, as Japanese workers are more interested in the new working style with COVID-19.