"Rakuten Travel" Announces Travel Trends for Golden Week 2026

Rakuten Travel, a travel booking service operated by Rakuten Group, Inc., has announced its travel trends for this year's Golden Week (period: Saturday, April 25, 2026 – Wednesday, May 6, 2026).

Domestic accommodation bookings on Rakuten Travel for Golden Week are performing strongly, showing approximately a 1.1-fold increase compared to the same period last year (Note 1). Bookings have grown year-on-year across all accommodation categories, with female-only trips increasing by over 1.3 times, and solo female trips and mixed-gender group trips growing by more than 1.2 times (Note 2). International travel bookings are also robust, with Taiwan, Hawaii, and South Korea being particularly popular.

The top 5 most popular prefectures for domestic travel remain Tokyo, Hokkaido, Osaka, Okinawa, and Fukuoka, unchanged from the previous year. Osaka Prefecture, which saw increased popularity due to the 2025 Japan World Exposition (Osaka-Kansai Expo), has maintained similar booking levels to the previous year, boosted by anniversary events at popular theme parks. Furthermore, Hokkaido and Okinawa prefectures have seen their accommodation bookings increase by over 1.2 times year-on-year, indicating growing interest in these popular tourist destinations (Note 3). In Hokkaido, areas with high travel demand such as Sapporo, Susukino, and Hakodate are showing strong growth, driven by multiple female travelers (Note 4). Okinawa has seen particularly strong year-on-year growth in bookings, especially around Naha and Ginowan, attracting families with children and couples. Additionally, many new accommodations are scheduled to open in April.

The prefecture with the most significant increase in popularity year-on-year is Niigata, which has several concerts by famous artists scheduled, seeing a growth of over 1.4 times compared to the same period last year. Nagasaki Prefecture ranked second, having been selected by a major international media outlet as a travel destination to visit in 2026. New attractions at popular theme parks and events held for a limited time until the end of June are also generating a strong response. Toyama Prefecture is third, gaining popularity particularly in the Takaoka area, including Amaharashi Coast, where visitors can enjoy panoramic views of Toyama Bay and the majestic Tateyama Mountain Range, and the Tateyama area, home to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, one of the world's leading mountain tourism routes. The closing of Hotel Tateyama, the official hotel of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, at the end of August this year has also drawn renewed attention to this year's mountain tourism season. Furthermore, several prefectures, including Shimane, which is gaining attention as the setting for a TV drama, and Oita, internationally recognized on social media for its "Jigoku Mushi" (hell-steamed dishes) at Beppu Onsen, have seen growth of over 1.2 times. Inbound demand appears to be rising, backed by popular spots on social media and abundant historical tourism resources. While Osaka Prefecture saw particularly outstanding booking growth last year, this year has shown year-on-year growth across a wider range of prefectures, indicating a trend of diversifying travel destinations.

Rising Popularity for "Pet-Friendly," "All-Inclusive" / "Lounge," and "Glamping" Plans

During Golden Week, bookings for accommodation plans/rooms where guests can stay with their pets have increased by over 1.2 times compared to the same period last year (Note 5). In recent years, the pet market has expanded, with high-value-added products and services emerging, leading to a more than 1.1-fold increase in facilities offering pet-friendly accommodation plans. Among these, facilities that provide meticulous services enabling enjoyable travel with pets, such as dining spaces where pets can join their owners, dedicated pet play areas, and special pet menus, are particularly popular. With surveys indicating that over 90% of pet owners wish to travel with their dogs (Note 6), demand for pet travel is growing, and bookings during Golden Week are especially on the rise.

Additionally, "all-inclusive" plans, which offer fixed-price enjoyment of meals and activities within the facility, and "lounge" plans, providing free access to a wide variety of drinks and light meals, continue to be popular, growing by approximately 1.4 times year-on-year (Note 7). Accommodations offering enhanced services, such as access to multiple lounges, kids' spaces, libraries, board games, and interactive workshops, are gaining popularity, and the number of facilities offering such plans has increased by over 1.2 times. The appeal lies in the sense of security and value for money, allowing guests to fully enjoy facility services regardless of weather at their preferred time, leading to sustained popularity, especially among family travelers.

Furthermore, bookings for "glamping" plans, which offer easy outdoor experiences combined with hotel-like comfort, have increased by approximately 1.4 times year-on-year (Note 8). Similarly, "cottage" and "log house" plans, which allow guests to enjoy nature without setting up their own tents, have also seen year-on-year growth. This suggests that ways of enjoying travel that involve connecting with nature and relaxing are gaining attention as popular travel styles.

Rakuten Travel will continue to provide useful information for travelers and contribute to stimulating travel demand.

(Reference) Rakuten Travel Golden Week Domestic Travel Special Feature: https://travel.rakuten.co.jp/special/GW/

(Note 1) Comparison of accommodation nights from Saturday, April 26, 2025 – Wednesday, May 7, 2025, and Saturday, April 25, 2026 – Wednesday, May 6, 2026 (as of Wednesday, March 25, 2026 - Target services: domestic accommodation, domestic dynamic packages, inbound, day-use).

(Note 2) Comparison of accommodation nights by accommodation type from Saturday, April 26, 2025 – Wednesday, May 7, 2025, and Saturday, April 25, 2026 – Wednesday, May 6, 2026 (as of Monday, March 23, 2026 - Target services: domestic accommodation, domestic dynamic packages, inbound, day-use).

(Note 3) Comparison of accommodation nights by prefecture from Saturday, April 26, 2025 – Wednesday, May 7, 2025, and Saturday, April 25, 2026 – Wednesday, May 6, 2026 (as of Wednesday, March 25, 2026 - Target services: domestic accommodation, domestic dynamic packages, inbound, day-use).

(Note 4) Comparison of accommodation nights by accommodation type for each prefecture from Saturday, April 26, 2025 – Wednesday, May 7, 2025, and Saturday, April 25, 2026 – Wednesday, May 6, 2026 (as of Tuesday, March 24, 2026 - Target services: domestic accommodation, domestic dynamic packages, inbound, day-use).

(Note 5) Comparison of accommodation nights for plans with keywords "pet" or "dog" in the plan or room type name, for the periods of Saturday, April 26, 2025 – Wednesday, May 7, 2025, and Saturday, April 25, 2026 – Wednesday, May 6, 2026 (as of Sunday, March 22, 2026 - Target services: domestic accommodation, day-use).

(Note 6) According to Biofili Corporation (Cocomel) survey.

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000159.000044537.html

(Note 7) Comparison of accommodation nights for plans with keywords "all-inclusive" or "lounge" in the plan or room type name, for the periods of Saturday, April 26, 2025 – Wednesday, May 7, 2025, and Saturday, April 25, 2026 – Wednesday, May 6, 2026 (as of Sunday, March 22, 2026 - Target services: domestic accommodation, day-use).

(Note 8) Comparison of accommodation nights for plans with keywords "glamping," "cottage," or "log house" in the plan or room type name, for the periods of Saturday, April 26, 2025 – Wednesday, May 7, 2025, and Saturday, April 25, 2026 – Wednesday, May 6, 2026 (as of Sunday, March 22, 2026 - Target services: domestic accommodation, day-use).

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