The keywords for future travel are “preparedness” and “savings”…Bad weather, earthquakes & the weak yen and high prices have changed travel values

Typhoon hits Obon holiday U-turn rush, travel media In the travel media, “saving money” was a popular theme. Saving money” became a popular theme. ……

Travelers often say that “travel costs have gone up” for both domestic and international travel after Corona. In addition to the daily price hikes, the weak yen has also made it impossible for many people to travel as they did before Corona.

Under such circumstances, recently, articles in magazines and on the Web introducing travel techniques based on the theme of “saving money” have become popular.

What is also of concern these days is the disruption of traffic schedules due to typhoons, extreme weather conditions, and disasters. News of flight cancellations and major delays, as well as bullet train suspensions, have increased dramatically. It is becoming increasingly important to be prepared and to deal with problems when they occur.

Major reasons for the rise in travel costs and “saving” techniques

Domestic travel has been affected more by the rapid increase in the number of foreigners visiting Japan (inbound travel) due to the weak yen than by revenge travel by Japanese. Hotel prices have soared across the board, especially in urban areas such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka.

Business travelers, who are not only traveling for leisure but also need to move around, are now complaining that they cannot afford to stay in a hotel for the amount of money required by the company’s regulations. In Kyoto, a popular destination for inbound travelers, it is not unusual for a luxury hotel room to exceed 100,000 yen per night during the tourist season.

On the other hand, for overseas travel, the unprecedented depreciation of the yen, which at one point stood at 160 yen to the dollar, combined with the high cost of living in many countries and regions, puts pressure on travel expenses the longer one stays in a country. Airfares to/from Japan also remain high due to the popularity of inbound travel, and additional fuel surcharges continue to be high.

As a travel technique based on the theme of saving money, “recommended destinations” for overseas travel often include nearby South Korea and Taiwan, where total travel expenses are lower, and Vietnam and Turkey, where prices are still cheaper than in Japan. In addition, we often see special features on how to spend a reasonable amount of time, eat, and connect to the Internet in the local area.

For domestic travel, “MCCs” (mid-cost carriers), which fall between major airlines (full-service carriers, FSCs) and low-cost carriers (low-cost carriers, LCCs), are attracting attention for their excellent cost performance.

In terms of hotels, hotels located away from the center of the city and locally-owned hotels that are not part of a global chain hotel group are the target. It is worthwhile to do some research when considering your travel plans.