Hiroyuki Takahashi, Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), said at a New Year’s press conference that they are focusing on revival of outbound travel, high value travel and sustainable tourism through 2024, regarding the year as complete recovery of the travel industry,
Although the number of Japanese outbound travelers still remained around 60% of 2019, Takahashi pointed out that overseas travel demand of corporate group travelers has recently been boosted, which is a positive sign for complete recovery of the outbound travel market. Some travel agents have received more orders than 2019. He said, “The growing group demand is expected to have a good influence on individual demand.”
Picking the 60th anniversary of overseas travel liberalization in Japan, Japan-U.S. Tourism Year, the 100th anniversary of the Japan-Turkey diplomatic relation and Paris Olympics and Paralympics as follow winds, Takahashi said, “We are making every effort to take advantage of these events for recovery of outbound travel and to revive balanced-tourism among domestic travel, inbound travel and outbound travel as soon as possible.”
Particularly referring to Japan-U.S. Tourism Year, Takahashi said, “It will be a big help for recovery of outbound travel through tourism exchanges between 464 sister cities in Japan and U.S.”
In addition, JATA continues addressing several industry challenges, such as labor shortage, higher productivity with DX or working reform. “All of the activities should be based on corporate compliances,” Takahashi added with the misconducts by JATA member companies last year in his mind.
JATA has an idea to support tourism in Hokuriku area that has catastrophically damaged by Noto Peninsula Earthquake. As one of them, JATA is planning to launch a program to help Hokuriku revive in Tourism EXPO Japan in September 2024.
JATA revealed that the member companies have not seen particular cancellations from inbound travelers since the earthquake occurred,
