Photo/Illutration Tourism minister Naoya Haraikawa, middle, and Hiroyuki Takahashi, chairman of JTB Corp., left, promote efforts to boost overseas travel in Tokyo’s Kasumigaseki district on March 24. (Yoko Masuda)

To promote overseas travel, the Japan Association of Travel Agents has launched a campaign to subsidize some of the cost of getting a new passport.

JATA, a general incorporated association, announced its campaign on March 24.

A total of 42 companies and organizations, including travel agencies that are JATA members and airports, will provide subsidies ranging from 5,000 yen ($33) to 10,000 yen per person.

About 25,000 people are expected to receive these subsidies, totaling approximately 200 million yen.

Hiroyuki Takahashi, chairman of JTB Corp., said at the news conference, “This is the year we will aim for a complete revival of overseas travel.”

While inbound travel to Japan has increased dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic died down, travel abroad from Japan has remained sluggish.

The number of outbound travelers in 2024 was approximately 13 million, only about 65 percent of the 2019 level.

According to the Foreign Ministry and other sources, the number of passports issued has not returned to pre-pandemic levels and only about 17 percent of Japanese held passports in 2024.

As applications for new passports with enhanced anti-counterfeiting measures started being accepted on March 24, the JATA launched its campaign to encourage people to get new passports.

Major travel agencies will subsidize a portion of the cost of obtaining a passport (16,300 yen for a 10-year passport if applied for over the counter) with points or gift certificates for those participating in overseas travel tours.

Some of the JATA member companies offer subsidies for students studying abroad for a short period of time and others give points to those under 30 years of age.

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