Summer family trips / Yen depreciation pushes up airfares, no savings on Japan tour packages this holiday season!

▲ Although the yen has depreciated significantly, tour package prices to Japan may not be any cheaper due to rising airfares during the summer vacation. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziyin)

Reporters You t
ru, Chen Ziyin / Special report

 Summer vacation is approaching, and many parents are busy planning family trips. This year, with the Japanese yen continuing to depreciate, travel to Japan has become even more popular—just look at the hot sales of Japan tour packages at the recently concluded summer travel expo, the "2013 International Tourism Expo."

However, due to the increase in airfares during the summer vacation, tour package prices have generally risen by around NT$6,000 to NT$10,000. Despite the yen's depreciation, Japan tour packages haven't gotten any cheaper. Even so, many travelers are seizing the rare long holiday to travel abroad, with Japan being the top choice for the majority, as it's the most affordable time to spend there. Japan is not only close to Taiwan but also offers the “three greats”: great food, great shopping, and great entertainment. Coupled with the weaker yen, Japan is more affordable than ever. Travelers are timing their trips to Japan specifically to “spend in yen.”


▲ Japan is a highly favored travel destination for locals, offering great food, shopping, and entertainment. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziyin)

How much difference does it really make in spending when traveling to Japan? Take Starbucks coffee, for example: a NT$360 regular latte that cost about NT$137 to enjoy a year and a half ago now only costs around NT$107 in Japan. For those shopping for clothing, an item that used to cost 10,000 yen and approximately NT$3,800 now costs less than NT$3,000 after the yen’s depreciation. The most noticeable difference is for travelers focusing on high-end purchases—for instance, a single-lens reflex camera priced at about 80,000 yen, which previously cost around NT$30,000, can now be bought for just about NT$24,000. For travelers heading to Japan, it's truly a huge “wallet-saver.”

In addition, Japan travel expert “Riri Xuan” suggests thatif the yen continues to depreciate, people traveling to Japan might consider not exchanging large amounts of cash and instead using credit cards, which could save them even more money.This is because when travelers pay with a card overseas, the bank settles the transaction based on the exchange rate on the day the merchant submits the request, which could be several days after the actual purchase. Not only does this save the hassle of exchanging cash, but travelers also benefit from the exchange rate difference and avoid foreign transaction fees—saving money while gaining convenience.