Over 23 mil. Japanese forecast to travel during Golden Week 2024, report

Over 23 million people in Japan are expected to travel and stay overnight during Golden Week in 2024, in what will be the first spring holiday period since the legal status of COVID-19 was downgraded to the same as seasonal flu. 

In its annual forecast report of travel trends during the Golden Week holiday period, Japanese travel agency JTB estimated that 23.32 million people in Japan will head out for trips of one night or more during Golden Week in 2024. 

Among those, 22.8 million people are expected to travel domestically with the average cost per person per trip expected to be 36,100 yen, including transportation, accommodation, souvenirs, meals, and other expenses. Forecasts for the number of travelers and their expenses were based on data from the previous year adjusted to account for current trends, according to JTB.

The Golden Week holiday period, based around a number of national holidays, is split into two periods this year allowing for potentially three consecutive days from April 27 (Sat) to April 29 (Monday, national holiday), and four consecutive days from May 3 (Friday) to May 6 (Monday), with May 3, 4, and 5 being national holidays (the 6th becoming a holiday because the 5th falls on a Sunday. 

Based on responses given to an online survey as part of the JTB report, May 3 (Friday) is expected to be the peak date for Golden Week trip departures in 2024, followed by April 27 (Saturday), for those traveling domestically. 

26.5 percent of survey respondents said they will (or probably will) travel during Golden Week this year, almost the same percentage as said they would travel when the survey was carried out ahead of Golden Week in 2019. 

That still leaves over 70 percent of respondents, however, who said they are likely to stay put during the busy holiday period. Golden Week crowds (47.2 percent), Golden Week prices (33.7 percent) and no room in the household budget were the most popular reasons chosen for staying put. 

Among those respondents who are heading out in Japan, doing so by car was selected as the favored method of transportation (55.3 percent), followed by shinkansen bullet train (23.8 percent) and other railway services (19.7 percent). 

Places where nature can be enjoyed (including national parks and flower parks) was the most popular selection of destination type for Golden Week this year, selected by 26.1 percent of respondents traveling domestically. This was followed by mountain or outdoor destinations (15.8 percent) and road trips (13.9 percent). Theme parks Universal Studios Japan and Tokyo Disneyland were selected by 10.9 and 10.3 percent of respondents, respectively. 

The JTB survey was carried out online from March 7-13 this year, targeting respondents between the ages of 15 and 79.

It wasn’t until Japan went back to work (May 8) after the Golden Week holiday period last year that the Japanese government downgraded the legal status of COVID-19 to the same category as that of seasonal influenza, effectively leaving decisions on coronavirus prevention up to individuals and businesses.  

COVID-19 border controls for all international arrivals, however, were lifted on April 29, in time for the start of the holiday period.