The Current State of Overseas Tourism in 2017

Japanese travelers are increasingly shifting their overseas travel destinations toward Asia. Among younger generations in particular, there is a tendency to choose “nearby” destinations such as South Korea and Taiwan for overseas travel, a trend that begins as early as their student years.
Currently, 55.1% of travelers opt for FIT (independent travel). When including skeleton tours (tours with free time), approximately 80% of travelers spend their time at their destination doing as they please.
With the diversification of lifestyles, there has been a shift toward consumption patterns that allow travelers to maintain their own personal style. The percentage of travelers who have taken separate itineraries—such as meeting and parting ways with their travel companions at the destination—reached 27.3% for overseas travel, which is comparable to domestic travel (28.3%), highlighting the importance of itinerary flexibility.

69.1% of people booked their most recent overseas vacation online.
The proportion of people booking travel products online is slightly lower among women aged 18–39 and women aged 60 and older, with more of them booking in person. Younger people, in particular, are more likely to have had trouble booking online.They express dissatisfaction with usability, complexity, and unclear displays. The reason for not booking online is “there are too many options to choose from” (25.2% of those aged 18–29, 20.5% overall).

While the number of international travelers fluctuates depending on economic and social conditions, there exists a “core group of international travelers” who travel abroad consistently, regardless of external factors. On the other hand, during “booms” when the number of international travelers surges significantly, the proportion of the “light group of international travelers”—who can be considered swing voters—increases.
The core group of international travelers also travels domestically frequently.In 2016, the average number of domestic trips for this group was 3.3 (compared to 2.0 for the general population).
The value types most common among the core group of international travelers are “Highly Attuned” and “Experience-Oriented,” both of which fall under the Innovator category. If invitations from the core group become more frequent, the light group may be motivated to travel, potentially increasing the number of international travelers.
The overseas travel core group is highly information-sensitive, expressing desires such as “I want to stay at accommodations where I can experience the unique culture of that country” and “I want to discover lesser-known places and souvenirs on my own.” They also seek active interaction with people at their overseas destinations, such as “I want to experience local daily life” and “I want to interact with local people through homestays.”