Weak yen keeps Japanese tourists at home while visitor numbers surge

Once renowned as avid overseas travellers, the Japanese are staying closer to home these days.

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A weaker yen, high airfares and tepid wage growth are keeping outbound travel well below preCovid-19 levels. Just 1.22 million ventured abroad in March, 36.8 per cent less than the same period in 2019, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation.

Meanwhile, a record number of tourists visited Japan in March.

As Golden Week - Japan's annual string of national holidays gets under way this week, local travellers are opting for Kochi in the south, Atami near Tokyo, and other popular spots such as Okinawa and Hokkaido.

In response, Japan Airlines and ANA are allocating a big chunk of their seats to inbound travellers and profit-making regions with stronger demand. A recovery in outbound travel will not happen until 2025 at the earliest, according to the government.

"It might be some time before I travel abroad again; it's overpriced now food and everything," said Ms Tomoyo Shimoya, 39, who was celebrating her birthday at Hatoya Hotel earlier in April as it was more affordable. An overnight stay that includes breakfast and dinner at the hotel, located a couple of hours from Tokyo, costs around 15,000 yen (S$130) per person. That compares with an average of US$375 (S$510) per night for a hotel room in Hawaii.