TOKYO, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Outbound travel from Japan during this year's summer holiday season is expected to fall 8.8 percent from a year earlier, as the weak yen and rising costs dampen demand, local media reported.
An estimated 2.17 million overseas trips are expected to be made by Japanese travelers between July 15 and Aug. 31, Kyodo News reported, citing major travel agency JTB Corp.
Higher travel costs are prompting more people to forgo long-haul destinations such as North America and Australia, while domestic tourism is also likely to soften as consumers tighten their spending amid inflation.
Average overseas travel expenditure per person per trip is estimated to rise 6.3 percent from a year earlier to 323,000 yen (about 2,000 U.S. dollars). The weaker yen has pushed up the cost of overseas travel, while elevated fuel surcharges, driven by soaring energy prices amid tight oil supplies linked to the Middle East crisis, have added further to the burden.
Domestic trips are expected to drop 4.4 percent from the previous year to a cumulative 69 million, while average spending per person is projected to climb 3.2 percent to 48,500 yen.
The Kanto region in eastern Japan, which includes Tokyo, is expected to be the most popular destination, drawing 19 percent of travelers, followed by the Kinki region in western Japan at 14.9 percent and Hokkaido in the north at 11.2 percent.
The projections are based on an online survey conducted by JTB in June among people planning trips involving at least one overnight stay during the indicated summer holiday period. ■
