Summer Vacation (July 15 - August 31, 2026) Travel Trends

JTB has compiled its travel trend outlook for "people who will take at least one overnight trip during the summer vacation (July 15 - August 31, 2026)." This report estimates domestic travel by Japanese residents for one night or more, based on various economic trends, consumer behavior surveys, transportation and tourism-related data, and surveys conducted by the JTB Group. The survey has been conducted continuously since 1969.

Income is on an upward trend, but due to rising prices, travel will be characterized by a selective approach with savings and ingenuity.

Domestic travel popular for avoiding heat and seeking indoor or cool activities.

Overseas travel involves wisely choosing destinations where local prices and airfare are affordable.

● Total summer vacation travelers: 71.17 million (95.4% year-on-year)

Total travel spending: 4.0474 trillion yen (98.3% year-on-year)

● Domestic travel: Travelers 69 million (95.6% year-on-year), average planned travel expense: 48,500 yen (103.2% year-on-year), travel spending: 3.3465 trillion yen (98.6% year-on-year)

● Overseas travel: Travelers 2.17 million (91.2% year-on-year), average planned travel expense: 323,000 yen (106.3% year-on-year), travel spending: 700.09 billion yen (96.9% year-on-year)

[Domestic Travel]

➢ Traveler numbers are predicted to decrease slightly from last year, despite expected increases in salary income and summer bonuses, due to a stronger trend towards saving money that outweighs these increases.

➢ The average planned travel expense (unit price) is expected to rise again this year, influenced by price increases being passed on. Consumers are showing a selective spending pattern, maintaining expenditure on things they perceive as valuable.

➢ Interest is growing in heat countermeasures during travel, such as spending time in indoor facilities, minimizing travel, and sightseeing during cooler early morning or evening hours.

[Overseas Travel]

➢ Traveler numbers are expected to decrease from last year, influenced by international affairs and the weak yen.

➢ The average planned travel expense (unit price) is trending upward due to factors like rising fuel surcharges.

➢ To control costs, there is a growing trend of selecting destinations where local prices are affordable, the impact of the weak yen is minimal, and airfare is relatively inexpensive.

➢ Travel timing is expected to be slightly more dispersed around the summer vacation period, including the five-day Golden Week holiday in September.

1. Summer Vacation Calendar (July 15 - August 31) and Travel Trends for This Year

We asked about the details of travel plans, including returning home for the 2026 summer vacation (departures from July 15 to August 31) in the aforementioned survey. Regarding travel intentions for this summer vacation, 30.6% of respondents answered "will go" (total of "will go" and "probably will go"), a decrease of 3.6 percentage points from the previous year (Figure 2). Furthermore, when asked about travel between June 15 and July 14 (before the summer vacation) or between September 1 and September 30 (after the summer vacation), "will go only during summer vacation (10.5%)" decreased by 1.9 percentage points from the previous year, and "will go during summer vacation and around it (20.2%)" decreased by 1.6 percentage points. Conversely, "will go only around summer vacation (8.8%)" increased by 0.6 percentage points. This suggests a growing trend of traveling before or after the peak summer season, possibly to avoid crowds and high prices (Figure 3).

Looking at trends by age and gender, younger age groups for both men and women showed a higher intention to travel. "Will go" (total of "will go" and "probably will go") was highest among men aged 29 and under at 40.5%, and among women aged 29 and under at 39.4%, but both decreased from the previous year. Compared to the previous year, while all age groups showed a decrease, the rate of decrease was smaller for women aged 50 and over (Figure 4).

When asked for reasons why people would not travel, the most common answer was "because summer vacation periods are crowded (29.2%)", followed by "because household finances are not sufficient (26.3%)", "because I want to relax at home (25.9%)", and "because travel costs are high during summer vacation (16.8%)" (Figure 5).

Next, we asked 2,060 respondents who answered "will travel during this summer vacation" about their thoughts on this summer's travel. "Will increase travel days compared to last year's summer vacation" was 13.9%, a decrease of 2.3 percentage points from the previous year, but significantly higher than "will decrease travel days compared to last year's summer vacation (5.4%)". Also, "want to travel further than last year's summer vacation (7.6%)" exceeded "want to travel closer than last year's summer vacation (6.3%)", but the difference narrowed from 3.4 percentage points last year to 1.3 percentage points. "Plan to spend lavishly by spending money (6.6%)" increased by 1.2 percentage points from the previous year, while "plan to spend modestly without spending money (5.7%)" decreased by 0.2 percentage points. Regarding gasoline costs, "want to use a car regardless of gasoline costs (16.0%)" decreased by 1.7 percentage points from the previous year, but significantly exceeded "want to refrain from using a car due to high gasoline costs (3.0%)".

Furthermore, "want to travel regardless of international affairs, infectious diseases, weak yen, or rising prices (5.4%)", "want to travel to regions with less impact from international affairs and infectious diseases (3.3%)", and "want to travel now because there is a possibility that the weak yen and rising prices will further advance or prices will increase next year and beyond (3.8%)" all increased, showing a solid travel intention even under these circumstances (Figure 6).

2. Domestic Travel Trends

Domestic traveler numbers are estimated at 69 million (95.6% year-on-year), with an average planned expense per person of 48,500 yen (103.2% year-on-year), and total domestic travel spending of 3.3465 trillion yen (98.6% year-on-year) (Figure 1).

We analyzed the travel trends of 1,921 respondents among the 2,060 surveyed individuals who answered "Japan" as their domestic travel destination for this summer vacation.

Travel Purpose: "Spending time with family (33.0%)" was the most common, with a 0.3 percentage point increase. Next, "Eating and tasting local flavors (27.3%)" increased by 0.8 percentage points, "Relaxing and taking it easy (27.1%)" decreased by 1.4 percentage points, and "Relaxing in a hot spring (23.3%)" decreased by 0.2 percentage points (Figure 7).

Number of Travel Days: Overall, "1 night, 2 days (39.0%)" was the most common, an increase of 2.5 percentage points from the previous year. On the other hand, "2 nights, 3 days (32.7%)" remained flat, and "3 nights, 4 days (15.6%)" decreased by 1.8 percentage points. Trips of 1 and 4 nights increased, while trips of 2 and 3 nights decreased (Figure 8).

Average Planned Travel Expense Per Person: Overall, "20,000 to less than 30,000 yen (19.1%)" was the most common, followed by "40,000 to less than 50,000 yen (17.1%)" and "10,000 to less than 20,000 yen (17.0%)". All of these increased from the previous year (Figure 9).

Destinations: "Kanto (19.0%)" was the most popular, followed by "Kinki (14.9%)", "Hokkaido (11.2%)", and "Tokai (11.0%)". In terms of growth rate, "Kanto" increased by 1.8 percentage points and "Tohoku (9.3%)" increased by 1.2 percentage points. On the other hand, in terms of decrease rate, "Koshinetsu" decreased by 2.1 percentage points, "Kyushu (9.0%)" decreased by 1.1 percentage points, and "Okinawa (3.3%)" decreased by 1.0 percentage point (Figure 10).

Reasons for choosing destinations: "Because there is a place I want to go (42.7%)" was the most common reason, but it decreased by 2.0 percentage points. Next were "Because there is accommodation I want to stay at (18.9%)", "Because I can go by private car or rental car (18.6%)", and "Because it is my hometown (18.3%)". While many items decreased compared to the previous year, "Because there is accommodation I want to stay at" increased by 2.5 percentage points, and "Because it doesn't seem crowded with tourists, etc." increased by 0.5 percentage points (Figure 11).

Looking at destinations by region of residence, the proportion of intra-regional travel (where the destination is in the same region as the place of residence) exceeded 50% in two regions: "Hokkaido (67.3%)" and "Kyushu (50.0%)". On the other hand, for residents of the Kanto region, 21.8% traveled within Kanto, while 28.2% traveled to "Chubu", continuing the trend from the previous year where the destination region exceeded the region of residence (Figure 12). Compared to the previous year, the proportion of intra-regional travel increased in "Tohoku", "Kanto", "Chubu", and "Kinki". Also, for residents of "Chubu", "Kinki", "Chugoku/Shikoku", and "Kyushu" regions, travel to "Hokkaido" increased while travel to "Kyushu" decreased (Figure 13).

Companions: "Family trip with children (up to junior high school) (23.8%)" was the most common, followed by "Couple only (21.8%)" and "Solo (17.8%)". In terms of changes from the previous year, "Family trip with children (up to junior high school)" and "Family and friends/acquaintances (6.5%)" increased, while "Solo" showed the largest decrease rate of 1.5 percentage points (Figure 14).

Transportation Used: "Private car (49.6%)" was the most common, followed by "JR Shinkansen (26.3%)" and "JR conventional lines/private railways (22.4%)". Looking at the decrease rate, compared to the previous year, "Private car (49.6%)" decreased by 2.0 percentage points, "Rental car (9.6%)" decreased by 1.2 percentage points, and "Traditional full-service airlines (15.8%)" decreased by 0.5 percentage points. The recent rising trend in gasoline prices may be influencing the decrease in "private car" and "rental car" usage, and the increase in "Low-Cost Carriers (LCC)" and "JR conventional lines/private railways" (Figure 15).

Accommodation Used: "Hotel (64.1%)" was the most common, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from the previous year. Next, "Ryokan (23.1%)" decreased by 0.4 percentage points, and "Parents'/relatives' home (18.6%)" decreased by 0.8 percentage points (Figure 16).

Places of interest: "Places where nature can be enjoyed (national parks, flower fields, etc.) (30.8%)" was the most popular, followed by "Zoos and aquariums (14.8%)". Looking at trends by age and gender, "Places where nature can be enjoyed (mountains, outdoor activities, etc.)" was popular among men in their 20s (22.6%) and 40s (23.0%), "Deciding on the spot without prior planning" was popular among men in their 50s (19.4%) and women in their 70s (19.4%), and "Historical spots such as temples, shrines, and historic sites" was popular among women in their 60s, showing age and gender-specific characteristics in summer enjoyment (Figure 17).

Furthermore, when asked about what people want to emphasize during this summer's travel, such as "heat countermeasures during travel," "experiences unique to summer," and "recovery of mind and body," the top responses were "enjoying indoor sightseeing and experiences while avoiding heat (15.8%)", followed by "participating in summer-only events such as fireworks festivals (15.3%)", and "recovery tourism with the main purpose of improving mental and physical well-being and recuperation (12.7%)". Among the heat countermeasure options, the proportion of sightseeing and experiences utilizing indoor facilities or early morning/nighttime hours was high, and "utilizing advance reservations, etc., to reduce waiting times in the heat (7.6%)" was particularly high among women aged 29 and under. Regarding mental and physical recovery, "digital detox to relieve stress (9.4%)" was high among both men and women aged 29 and under (Figure 18).

JTB's popular domestic travel destinations include Okinawa, Hokkaido, and Tokyo, including Tokyo Disney Resort®.

Tohoku is popular for trips aimed at seasonal events such as summer festivals.

3. Overseas Travel Trends

Overseas traveler numbers are estimated at 2.17 million (91.2% year-on-year). Factors such as international affairs, rising fuel surcharges, and dispersion of travel to periods before and after summer vacation to save costs are considered to be influencing this. On the other hand, there is a continued trend of people enjoying overseas travel with ingenuity, even amidst soaring travel costs, by choosing countries where local prices and airfare are relatively inexpensive.

Average planned overseas travel expense per person is 323,000 yen (106.3% year-on-year), and total overseas travel spending is 700.09 billion yen (96.9% year-on-year). Specific trends are described below.

Among the 2,060 respondents, 139 people (6.7%) answered "overseas" as their summer vacation travel destination. "3 nights, 4 days (23.0%)" was the most common trip duration, an increase of 1.9 percentage points from the previous year. Next, "7 nights or more (20.9%)" decreased by 4.7 percentage points, and "5 nights, 6 days (20.1%)" increased by 4.1 percentage points (Figure 19).

Per person cost: "100,000 to less than 200,000 yen (25.5%)" was the most common, followed by "400,000 yen or more (22.6%)" and "50,000 to less than 100,000 yen (21.2%)". Compared to the previous year, "less than 50,000 yen (12.4%)" increased by 2.7 percentage points, while the mid-price range of 50,000 to less than 200,000 yen decreased, showing a slight polarization trend (Figure 20). Regarding destinations, estimates were made by country/region. "South Korea (26.2%)" was the most popular, followed by "Taiwan (16.2%)". Southeast Asia as a whole accounted for 16.3% of the total, and Asia as a whole accounted for 79.5%. On the other hand, looking at the increase rate from the previous year, nearby "South Korea" increased by 6.6 percentage points, "Taiwan" increased by 6.3 percentage points, and "Other Asia" increased by 4.2 percentage points. This suggests that people are wisely choosing destinations that are close, have affordable local prices, are less affected by the weak yen, or have relatively inexpensive airfare, in response to the current situation (Figure 21).

JTB's popular overseas travel destinations include Hawaii, Singapore, Guam, South Korea, and the United States. In the US, the West Coast is popular, and travel to watch MLBTM games is popular, partly due to the success of Japanese players.

Next, we asked the pre-survey respondents, including those who will not travel this summer vacation, about their intentions for future overseas travel. Looking at the timing of implementation intention by overseas destination, "want to go immediately" was highest for "Europe (8.5%)", followed by "Hawaii (8.3%)" and "South Korea (7.9%)", but all decreased from the previous year (Figure 22).

4. Economic Environment and Consumer Sentiment Surrounding Travel and Leisure Spending

The Japanese economy continues a gradual recovery, despite uncertainties such as the impact of the situation in the Middle East. The Cabinet Office's Monthly Economic Report (May 2026) states that the basic assessment of the economy is "recovering gradually, but the impact of the situation in the Middle East needs to be closely monitored." Regarding personal consumption, it notes that "there are signs of recovery. However, it is necessary to pay attention to the recent weak trend in consumer sentiment."

The Nikkei Stock Average has fluctuated significantly since the beginning of 2026, falling to a year-to-date low of around 51,000 yen at the end of March, but then recovered and surpassed its previous all-time high of 70,000 yen on June 16. Summer bonus outlooks for 2026 released by multiple research institutions forecast an increase of around 2% year-on-year in bonuses per employee for private companies, which is expected to support consumption.

On the other hand, prices continue to rise. The Consumer Price Index for Japan in May 2026 showed a 1.5% year-on-year increase in the overall index and a 1.8% increase in the index excluding fresh food and energy. Looking at major items, all categories except "clothing" showed an increasing trend from the previous month. Gasoline prices have been suppressed to the 150-180 yen range since March due to the government's emergency measures to mitigate drastic changes, with the national average retail price on June 15 being 169.7 yen. In the Bank of Japan's "Survey on People's Livelihood," the proportion of respondents who feel "less financial leeway" still exceeds half, but it has decreased from the previous survey, indicating a slight recovery in living conditions (Figure 24).

Regarding "Intention regarding travel expenditure in the next year" from the JTB survey, "want to reduce travel spending compared to before (41.8%)" increased by 3.3 percentage points from the previous year, while "want to increase travel spending compared to before (10.2%)" decreased by 1.2 percentage points. The intention to reduce spending has increased for three consecutive years. This suggests that while overall future travel spending will be restrained, people are planning to travel with ingenuity and selectivity (Figure 25).

Furthermore, looking at "the situation of one's own life and travel this summer," "work and company performance are improving and income is likely to increase (18.8%)" increased by 0.5 percentage points from the previous year, "work and company performance are deteriorating and income is likely to decrease (26.4%)" decreased by 0.5 percentage points, "not particularly saving on living expenses (19.2%)" increased by 0.3 percentage points, and "saving more on living expenses than usual (43.5%)" decreased by 1.7 percentage points. While the overall proportions have not changed significantly, there is a slight upward trend in income.

On the other hand, regarding expenditures, "not reducing expenses for hobbies and travel, etc." increased by 0.3 percentage points from the previous year, and "reducing expenses for hobbies and travel, etc." decreased by 3.8 percentage points, with both standing at 27.5%. Also, "because the future is uncertain, I want to consider large expenditures now (45.6%)" decreased by 0.1 percentage points, while "because the future is uncertain, I want to refrain from large expenditures (13.9%)" increased by 1.2 percentage points. Consumers seem to be spending money selectively, maintaining expenditures on things they perceive as valuable, while harboring anxieties about the future (Figure 26).