Sustained Popularity of Japan Travel... Special Demand for E-commerce Related Products

Endemic Year 2 and Yen Depreciation Impact
Tmon's Sales of Japanese Travel Products Up 322%

Japan travel has continued to be popular this year. As we enter the second year of the COVID-19 endemic phase (periodic outbreaks of infectious diseases), many people have started traveling abroad in earnest, choosing Japan as a destination they can visit during short holidays or weekends. The weak yen (Enjeo) has significantly influenced this trend by reducing travel costs. E-commerce platforms selling related products are also enjoying a boom.

On the 13th, TMON announced that sales of Japan travel packages and independent travel products increased by 322% compared to the same period last year. Compared to last year, sales of products for Southeast Asia increased by 80%, and for Guam, Saipan, and Australia by 28%. Even considering the overseas travel market boom due to the pent-up demand after the endemic, the growth of Japan travel products stands out. During the same period, TMON’s overall package and independent travel product growth rate was 71%. A TMON representative said, "The transaction amount for overseas packages and independent travel is steadily increasing, focusing on destinations like Japan that can be visited without much burden."

A user is browsing Japanese travel products on an e-commerce platform.

At WEMAKEPRICE, travel product sales increased by 807% compared to the previous year last month. By destination, airline tickets to Japan sold the most. Japan’s three cities?Osaka, Fukuoka, and Tokyo?ranked among the top five in airline ticket sales, showing their popularity. A WEMAKEPRICE representative said, "With the start of school and university semesters, relatively nearby travel destinations have attracted attention."

The number of people traveling abroad through MyRealTrip also increased by 190% compared to the previous month. The most popular destinations were again Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka. MyRealTrip explained that inquiries have continued as they launched a "Japan Cherry Blossom Special" product to welcome spring.

Looking at the status of flights on the Japanese route during the March 1st holiday, about 210,000 people used the route. This is approximately 4.5% more than the three-day March 1st holiday in 2019, before the so-called "No Japan" boycott movement against Japanese products.

The reason for the soaring popularity of Japan travel is primarily its excellent cost-effectiveness in this era of high inflation. According to a recent announcement by Consumer Insight, a travel research specialist, Japan ranked first as a "low-cost, high-satisfaction" travel destination. The daily cost of a trip to Japan for domestic travelers was about 200,000 KRW, while Jeju Island, the most expensive domestic travel destination, cost 132,000 KRW. This means that for about 1.5 times the cost of traveling to Jeju, one can travel overseas to Japan.

An industry insider from a travel platform said, "We quickly respond to customer demand by offering various special-priced Japan travel products every day, and we also operate dedicated special exhibitions where customers can check products at a glance. Since demand for medium- and short-distance travel remains high this year, Japan will continue to be popular."