JTB released a travel trend report for 2024 that the number of Japanese travelers are expected to reach 287.5 million, 1% fewer travelers than 2023 or 7.8% fewer travelers than 2019. Travel spending is expected to increase by 10.1% year on year to 16.8 trillion JPY in total (up 5.4% over 2019), and the average travel days a person are 2.35 a year.
Out of the total, JTB has forecasted that domestic travelers will be down 2.8% to 273 million (down 6.4% over 2019) mainly because of higher travel costs and lower pent-up demand. Travel spending is expected to reduce by 2.9% to 11.8 trillion JPY (up 6.0% over 2019), and the average spending a traveler is estimated at 43,200 JPY, almost the same as 2023.
JTB has foreseen that the number of outbound travelers from Japan will still recover slowly primarily because of negative economic factors and geographical risks, and it is not until after 2025 that the annual number will be back to the 2019 level. The forecasted outbound travelers in 2024 are 14.5 million, 52.6 more than a year ago or 27.8% fewer than 2019. Travel spending is expected to be up 61% year on year to 5 trillion JPY (up 4.0% over 2019), and the average spending a traveler is estimated at the highest 342.100 JPY since 2000, 5.5% more than a year ago.
As international visitors to Japan continues growing in 2024 including full-scale recovery of visitors from China, mainly FIT, JTB has forecasted that the number of inbound travelers will reach the most-ever 33.1 million, 31.3% more than a year ago or 3.8% more than 2019.
11 times of more than 3 consecutive holidays in Japan in 2024
11 times of more than 3 consecutive holidays in 2024 are expected to boost travel demand In Japan. In the report, JTB picked Paris Olympics and Paralympics, extension of Hokuriku Shinkansen and open of a new Canyon Route in Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture, as good events for tourism.
Also, new opens of attraction areas in Universal Studio and Tokyo Disney Sea are expected to attract more tourists. New hotels, such as 23 Grand Mercures and Mercures nationwide, Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto or Osaka Station Hotel, will open through 2024.
