By / MOOK Scenic Spots Home Travel Life Network Editorial Department compiled report

According to statistics, room bookings from Taiwan during the Lunar New Year holiday increased by 324.8% compared to the same period last year, making Taiwanese travelers the world's top group visiting Japan during the Lunar New Year. Meanwhile, during the year-end New Year’s holiday, room bookings from Japanese travelers also saw significant growth, rising by 70% compared to the previous year, second only to Hong Kong.

Ranking of Room Bookings by Chinese New Year Visitors to Japan

Ranking of Room Bookings by New Year’s Holiday Visitors to Japan

In a survey of domestic travel destinations in Japan, areas outside the “Golden Route” showed strong growth, including Hokkaido, which ranked third last year and saw a 151.4% increase compared to the same period last year. In addition, ski resorts and snowy hot spring destinations have become extremely popular; the Furano, Biei, and Tomamu regions saw a 386.3% increase compared to the same period last year, while the Shiga Highlands, Yudanaka, Ishibu, Hakuba, and Kotani areas in Nagano Prefecture also experienced significant growth.

Room bookings within Japan during the Chinese Lunar New Year were also impressive, with a staggering 263.7% increase. Hokkaido ranked first with a strong growth of 157.1%, during which the Sapporo Snow Festival is held, and room bookings in the city continued to rise. Surrounding areas such as Noboribetsu and Hakodate also saw increases of 376.9% and 376.9% respectively compared to the same period last year. Fukuoka Prefecture also leapt significantly from 12th place to 5th. Overall, the Hokuriku region saw a 42.7% increase compared to the same period last year, especially among Tokyo metropolitan area residents whose bookings surged by 66.6% due to the Hokuriku Shinkansen boom. In addition, the Tohoku region as a whole saw about 1.4 times the number of bookings, an increase of 37.0% compared to the same period last year.

To promote domestic tourism, Japan issued “Hometown Travel Vouchers,” providing special travel subsidies that allow Japanese tourists to enjoy up to 50% discounts on hotel stays. According to statistics, domestic travel by Japanese tourists during the New Year’s holiday increased by 22.2% compared to the same period last year. Thanks to these related incentives and the growth in year-end bonuses in Japan, high-end accommodation reservations surged, and the total amount spent by Japanese travelers on domestic lodging also increased by 3.5% compared to the same period last year.

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