Golden Week 2026 saw budget conscious travel trends

Golden Week is in the rear view mirror for another year, and before the lead up to the holiday break I read a lot of studies about how people were planning on spending their time. A new survey by Neo Marketing has looked at the aftermath, and found that while travel demand remained steady this year, rising prices pushed many people toward shorter, more budget-conscious trips closer to home.

The most common way people spent Golden Week was simply staying home, chosen by 42.3% of respondents. Another 25.3% said they opted for short outings nearby, while domestic overnight trips accounted for just 12.1%. Overseas travel (once a major Golden Week aspiration for many!) sat at only 3.5%.

Still, the data suggests people in Japan aren't giving up on travel entirely, they're just becoming more strategic about it.

Rather than splurging on long-distance trips, many focused on what the survey described as "experiential consumption," enjoying local food, shopping and nearby attractions while keeping transport and accommodation costs manageable. Gourmet food tours were the most popular activity among travelers at 48.4%, followed by shopping at 43.2% and outdoor sightseeing at 33.1%.

That probably sounds familiar to many foreign residents in Japan, especially those of us who swapped expensive shinkansen fares and packed airports for local day trips.

Even with those compromises, budgets still blew out for many travelers. Respondents initially expected to spend an average of around ¥62,855 during Golden Week, but actual spending climbed to roughly ¥74,166, more than ¥11,000 over budget. Souvenir shopping and rising food prices were the biggest culprits.

To cope, over 70% of travelers used some kind of money-saving tactic, including coupons, points, early booking discounts or choosing destinations closer to home.