JTB forecasts 572,000 Golden Week travelers

JTB expects 572,000 people in Japan to travel overseas during Golden Week 2026, up 8.5% from a year earlier. (jtbcorp.jp) The travel agency’s forecast covers trips of at least one night between April 25 and May 7, 2026, including family visits and leisure travel. JTB said total travelers, domestic and overseas combined, should reach 24.47 million. (jtbcorp.jp) (travelvoice.jp) Outbound travelers are expected to spend an average of ¥329,000 each, up 2.2% from last year. Nippon.com, citing Jiji Press, said that is the highest Golden Week overseas spending figure since comparable data began in 1996. (jtbcorp.jp) (nippon.com) JTB said the calendar is helping. May 2 to May 6 falls as a five-day break, and workers who take April 30 and May 1 off can stretch that to eight days. (jtbcorp.jp) The company also pointed to a recovery in international flight capacity beyond pre-pandemic levels. That has made short-haul trips to South Korea, Taiwan and Southeast Asia easier to book, even with the yen still weak. (jtbcorp.jp) (nippon.com) About 80% of the expected overseas trips are to destinations in Asia, according to Nippon.com’s report on the JTB survey. Three-night, four-day itineraries were the most common. (nippon.com) At home, the picture is more restrained. JTB forecasts 23.9 million domestic travelers, up 1.7%, but average planned spending is expected to slip to ¥46,000 as travelers choose shorter trips and use private cars more often. (jtbcorp.jp) (travelvoice.jp) The outbound rebound is still not back to the 2019 Golden Week peak. JTB’s 2019 forecast projected 604,000 overseas travelers during the 10-day holiday created by the imperial succession calendar. (jtbcorp.jp) This year’s Golden Week looks bigger than last year, but it is also more expensive. JTB’s numbers show more Japanese travelers are going abroad again, while paying the highest average Golden Week overseas bill in three decades of comparable data. (jtbcorp.jp) (nippon.com)