JTB eyes 3 percent hike in overseas Japanese travel

The Japan Travel Bureau has projected that a total of 16.92 million Japanese will travel in the year 2000 or a 3.2 percent jump from the previous record of 16.80 million in 1997.

JTB, the world’s biggest tour operator, said numerous millennial events planned should stimulate demand for overseas travel, including the Sydney Olympics where Japan will be competing in the soccer events. The present high exchange rate for the yen may also encourage young women office workers to go overseas to shop.

JTB expects the number of Japanese who will travel within Japan to reach a total of 325.44 million, or a 1.8 percent jump this year.

Those who will travel within Japan and overseas this year just to participate in the various commemorative events will increase 1.9 percent or a total of 342.36 million.

According to figures released by the Japan Association for the Promotion of Active Creative Events, many companies will be celebrating anniversaries and holding special sales campaigns in addition to products and services commemorating the year 2000, thus, there will be corporate travel demand after years of decline.

A JTB Foundation study showed that “family members” accounted for the biggest group of travelers last year (46.8 percent), followed by “husband and wife” (15.1 percent). This trend is expected to continue this year, JTB said.

A survey conducted by the Japan Association of Travel Agents among 10,000 respondents on where they would go in their last trip of the 20th century revealed that Hawaii is still the most preferred destination. The biggest number of respondents said they would travel as married couples in Hawaii or with family members to relax and unwind.

Some 23. 4 percent of the population in Japan said they would like to attend the various millennial events in the year 2000. The first choice among the different activities that they would like to participate in is the year 2000 countdown event (44.3 percent), closely followed by a regional event designed to commemorate the millennial year (40.5 percent).

Senior citizens, or those in the 60 to 74 years range is the focus of the travel industry as they rival their juniors in terms of interest in various activities and consumer power.

Mountain climbing tours have become popular in recent years, as have round-the-world luxury tours, and participants tend to be largely those from this group. Japanese would like to experience something personal and unique in their trip — an event that cannot be experienced anywhere else at any other time. And this year, it is the millennial events that will have of active seniors. As this group of customers are also concerned with good health, they will be strongly drawn to packages that offer-health related benefits.

Interest in the environment or eco-tourism continues to grow among Japanese travelers. The recent recognition of a site in the Kanto region as a world cultural heritage can only increase their interest in this type of travel.

Last year, the shrines at Nikko were added to the schedule of world cultural heritage, the tenth such site in Japan. Again, the Japanese government recommended the site of castles in the former Ryukyu Kingdom (now Okinawa) to the World Cultural Heritage Committee of UNESCO.

Average expenditure of Japanese this year on overseas travel will be at 312,167 yen ($3,122) which is 0.9 percent down from last year. Reductions in travel costs have hit rock bottom, and the large decreases foreseen last year seem unlikely, JTB said.

A stronger yen or higher exchange rates will encourage higher expenditures on overseas purchases. The Sydney Olympics and millennial events, will help increase the amounts spent by consumers.

Average expenditure on travel within Japan promises to be at 36,799 yen ($368) or 1.2 percent down from the previous year. With the frequency of events this year, JTB said consumption is expected to increase.

A record total of 4.59 million visitors from overseas are expected in Japan, which is a 3 percent growth compared to 1999. Events in Japan such as the Japan Flora 2000 and the Niigata Asian Cultural Festival 2000 are just among the other millennial events that promise to attract more visitors to Asia.