BANGKOK: Thailand is targeting higher-spending Japanese tourists interested in wellness, luxury, shopping and sports as it seeks to encourage more repeat visits and longer stays from the market.

The 2027 Hilton Trends Report explores the five travel trends expected to influence how people plan, book and experience travel next year. 

It was found that 5 out of 10 Japanese tourists use beauty and medical services in Seoul, enjoying core experiences within a short period.Seoul City announced

Destinations across Southeast Asia and Korea surged in popularity for Japanese tourists during this year’s Golden Week. 🛫

Travelex data highlighted the growing customer demand for several Southeast Asian currencies during the recent holiday season, we saw year-on-year increases in the number of purchases of:

🔹 Singapore dollar, up 23.6% 
🔹 Vietnamese dong, up 19.9% 
🔹 Thai baht, up 18.2% 
🔹 Korean won, up 13.4%.

Jun Otani, Travelex Managing Director - Japan said: “We know from the Travelex Travel Money Insights Report that more than half of Japanese travellers choose to travel overseas with cash for its security and convenience. With Thailand and Vietnam popular destinations and still heavily cash-dependent economies, convenient access to physical travel money is essential, and we’re proud to meet the growing demand among Japanese travellers.”

Read more about the shift in Japanese tourist travel patterns here ➡ https://lnkd.in/e67ikm4t

#WeAreTravelex #Japan #GoldenWeek

Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) is implementing a strategy centered on targeted marketing and regional diversification to achieve a goal of record-high 4.5 million Japanese tourists in 2026.

Korean retailers have made the most of the early May holiday period, as their sales soared with a massive flock of foreign tourists visiting the country. Accord

Japan's parliament enacted revisions to the passport law on Friday, lowering application fees in a bid to encourage overseas travel, especially among younger people. The amendments were approved by a unanimous vote at a plenary session of the House of Councillors. The government hopes the move will help to raise…

Government data showed the inflation figure — which strips out prices of fresh food — was in line with the 1.8% expected by economists polled by Reuters.

How Innovation, Collectibles Culture, and Digital Integration Are Driving Demand in Japan

eBay Japan is ramping up its efforts to penetrate the Japanese market by promoting K-beauty. eBay Japan is a Korean corporation wholly owned by eBa

The World's Most Powerful Passports

How does your country stack up?

After spending 25 years in China and now living in Singapore, I’ve seen firsthand how a strong passport can open doors. It makes travel easier, reduces costs, and provides greater freedom for work and leisure.

But, not all passports offer the same advantages.

According to Henley & Partners - The Firm of Global Citizens®, Singapore now holds the most powerful passport, granting visa-free access to 193 countries.

Japan and South Korea follow closely with 190 destinations.

Europe remains strong in the rankings. Germany, France, Denmark, and Italy each offer visa-free travel to 189 countries. Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands are close behind.

Meanwhile, the U.S. passport has slipped. Americans can now travel visa-free to 183 destinations, ranking below the UK, Canada, and Australia.

A decade ago, the U.S. was near the top. Now, it’s losing ground.

A powerful passport means more freedom and opportunity.

How does yours compare?

Graphic courtesy of Visual Capitalist

#Travel #Expat #Passport #Asia #USA #Singapore

「2026年（1月～12月）の旅行動向見通し」のページです。ニュースルームではJTBグループ各社が発信するニュースリリースやお知らせを掲載しております。

A new trend is reshaping tourism in Seoul: the "bullet trip." Rather than settling in for an extended vacation, a growing wave of Japanes

There is a noticeable rise in interest among Japanese tourists looking for solo travel options in Rajasthan, moving away from conventional attractions. Women travelers have raised safety issues, leading to conversations around enhancing assistance for visitors. The Palace on Wheels shines brightly due to its luxurious offerings and distinct travel experiences.

I spent 18 years at Rakuten. I would have guessed Japan's e-commerce penetration was well over 30%. I was wrong by a factor of three.

Only 9.8% of all retail spending in Japan happens online — even as the market grew to ¥26.1 trillion last year (+5.1%).
Compare that to:

🇰🇷 South Korea — 42%
🇨🇳 China — 26.8%
🇺🇸 United States — 20.1%
🇹🇼 Taiwan — 13.9%
🇯🇵 Japan — 9.8%

Books and electronics are already majority-digital (56% and 43%) — but food, drink, and clothing, where most people actually spend their money, are still overwhelmingly bought in person.

The demand for online shopping in Japan isn't small. What's small is how much of the total retail pie has actually moved online — and for cross-border brands, that gap is the opportunity. | 14 comments on LinkedIn

Beyond the exhibition halls, perhaps the clearest message from ProWine Tokyo was that Japan remains unusually receptive to new ideas.

Japanese consumer behaviour is shaped by trust, quality expectations, cultural sensitivity, and long-term evaluation. While many western markets prioritise speed and convenience, often Japanese consumers approach purchases more carefully. They place a strong preference on reassurance, consistency, and product quality.For businesses entering Japan, recognising these behavioural patterns plays an important role in long term success.

While inbound tourists mainly clog up the Golden Route, domestic Japanese travelers make full use of hisho-chi, highland summer resorts.

For most European citizens, the world is their oyster. But for citizens of some African and Asian countries, there's no escaping the visa.

Overseas travel from Japan has been recovering but remains at more than 70 percent of pre-pandemic levels amid a weak yen, a Kyodo News analysis of government data showed Saturday.

Tourism leaders meet in Honolulu to strengthen ties and rebuild Japan travel market.

A survey of 1,000 adults in Japan found that more than 60% had purchased capsule toys or other random goods at least once a month in the past year.

Japanese consumer sentiment retreated significantly in March as escalating energy costs and a sustained depreciation of the Yen intensified inflationary anxieties. The Bank of Japan (BoJ) now finds itself navigating a complex policy quandary: the necessity of tightening monetary policy to stabilise the domestic currency and anchor inflation versus the pressure of maintaining accommodative measures to support a fragile growth environment.

Stay updated with the latest innovations and economic shifts from Japan. Here’s what caught our attention this week: