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More Japanese seen to travel in 2005
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Posted on Jan 18 2005
Approximately 17.4 million Japanese travelers are expected to travel outside their country in 2005, an increase of 3.6 percent from the number of outbound Japanese travelers in 2004, according to a top travel management agency based in Japan.
The Marianas Visitors Authority earlier targeted to attract 420,000 Japanese tourists to the CNMI this year. Using the projection by JTB Corp., MVA therefore targets to draw at least two tourists for every 100 that will be taking a trip out of Japan.
JTB attributed the expected increase in outbound travel in Japan to the strong desire of the middle-aged to travel, as well as to the demand for business travel to Asia, particularly China, and the United States.
The start of the “Silk Road” television series by NHK, Japan’s sole public broadcaster, would to stimulate interest in Northeast China, particularly among the middle aged, JTB said.
JTB also cited factors such as the opening of the Centrair International Airport in central Japan, which will provide additional 955 flights a week.
The earthquake in Sumatra and the tsunami damage are not expected to have a major impact since the affected region represents only 2 percent of the Japanese travel market, JTB said.
Average expenditures on overseas travel are expected to decline b 1.3 percent over 2004—from $2,956 last year to $2,916 this year—because of the increase in travelers visiting closer destinations in China, Korea, and Asia.
However, JTB predicted that total overseas travel expenditure would increase by 2.2 percent—from $49.66 billion in 2004 to $50.76 billion in 2005—reflecting the increase in number of travelers.
