By TAKESHI OWADA/ Staff Writer
April 10, 2025 at 17:56 JST
A platform at Tokyo Station is crowded with passengers ahead of the Golden Week holiday period on April 27, 2024. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
The expected heavy flow of travelers during the Golden Week period from late April to early May is expected to be slightly down this year due to the fewer consecutive holidays and inflation boosting travel costs.
JTB Corp. announced on April 3 that the number of people who will travel within Japan or overseas during Golden Week is expected to be about 23.45 million, a 6.9 percent decrease compared to the same period last year.
The company estimated the number of travelers who will stay in accommodations at least one night between April 25 and May 7 based on questionnaires and existing reservation data.
About 80 percent of respondents to the company's questionnaires said they “would not travel” or “perhaps would not travel.”
The top reasons were “it would be crowded” at 45.9 percent, followed by “the travel costs would be expensive” at 34.6 percent and “no capability to pay the additional costs” at 25.9 percent. The company obtained about 10,000 valid responses.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has increased consumers’ desire to avoid crowds, while higher prices have made budget-friendly travel a priority," a JTB official said. "As a result, many are planning trips during off-peak seasons to minimize both crowds and expenses.”
Crowds are still expected at tourist destinations, particularly during the four-day holiday period from May 3 to May 6 in the latter half of Golden Week.
By destination, the expected number of travelers within Japan is 22.9 million, a 7.2 percent drop from the same period last year.
The expected average cost of domestic travel is 36,600 yen ($250) per person, an increase of 1.4 percent.
Meanwhile, the expected number of travelers heading overseas is 550,000, an increase of 10 percent, at an average cost of 268,000 yen per person, a 0.4 percent drop.
The popular destinations they cited are near Japan, such as South Korea and Taiwan.
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