SKYSCANNER REVEALS TRAVELLER REACTION FOLLOWING JAPAN BORDER UPDATE

• Australian traveller demand for flights to Japan had already been increasing following the speculation Japan would be re-opening to travellers, with a 23% increase in searches week on week
• We’ve seen a 21% increase in month-on-month bookings from Australia comparing April and May 2022 so far
• Demand for travel to Japan is primarily from South Korea - the top origin search country globally on Skyscanner - followed by UK, Australia and the US***
• Tokyo is one of the top ten international search destinations for Australians on Skyscanner this year. The second most popular destination in Japan is Osaka
• In 2019, Tokyo was the 4th most searched international destination on Skyscanner for Australian travellers
• The most popular searched month for travel from Australia is August, indicating travellers are looking to get back to the country as soon as possible, to make the most of the summer season
• The cheapest month to fly to Japan from Australia is currently October, with prices starting at $712 for direct economy return flights to Tokyo
• Japan re-opening is in time for adventurers to climb the iconic Mount Fuji, with official climbing season running from July to mid-September 

On the phased re-opening of Japan to travellers, Brendan Walsh, Australia Country Manager at Skyscanner comments:  

 

“Japan has long been one of Australia’s most loved travel destinations, with Tokyo currently trending in the top searched international destinations on Skyscanner for 2022. Border restrictions easing are a key step towards travel fully re-opening & rebuilding traveller confidence.  From what we’ve seen in other countries, most recently in some Asian countries with new travel lanes being opened, is that once restrictions are eased this unlocks a lot of pent-up travel demand. 

 

“As borders are set to gradually re-open, in time for Japan’s summer, we expect to see many Australians looking to get back to Japan and the people and places they love as soon as possible, after over two years of restrictions. We’ve seen from global travel re-opening elsewhere that clear, consistent information about the latest changes and travel requirements are the key to unlocking traveller confidence, alongside increased flexibility and competitive pricing. 

 

“The Japanese summer is a great time for Australian travellers to enjoy the festival season, including the festival of Gion Matsuri in Kyoto and Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka and a great time to visit Japan’s beautiful gardens and visit its temples, welcome news for the 39% Australians who are looking for a cultural experience this year, according to our latest travel trends research*. 

 

“Skyscanner’s on hand to help Australians get back to overseas travel again with a dedicated Covid travel advice hub with all the latest news and tips. Setting up price alerts on Skyscanner is also a great way of keeping an eye on deals to your favourite destinations. If you aren’t tied to certain dates, you can use our cheapest month search tool to find the best fares.”