Japanese to pay more than pre-COVID era for summer trips at home

Higher prices compounded by worker shortage in tourism industry

Tourists at the entrance of Tokyo's Sensoji temple in June. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita)

MAI KITAGAWA and JUNYA HENMI, Nikkei staff writers

July 7, 2023 08:14 JST

TOKYO -- Japan's summer domestic tourism season is expected to be both busy and pricey, with costs up roughly 10% compared with pre-pandemic levels, as an influx of foreign travelers fuels demand in hospitality.

Japanese residents will make 72.5 million trips at home between July 15 and Aug. 31, according to figures released Thursday by JTB, the nations' leading travel agency. This is up 17% from a year earlier and a slight increase from the same period in 2019.