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[102]CNBC Travel

The Asian nation where 35% of people say they'll 'never travel' again

Published Sun, Dec 18 20226:02 PM ESTUpdated 39 Min Ago
thumbnail
[103]Monica Pitrelli[104]@MonicaPitrelli
[105]WATCH LIVE

Everyone is traveling, it seems.

Data shows people are traveling more often and for longer periods of
time, with many [106]planning big bucket list-style trips this year.

But this isn't the reality for all.

Another group of people are quietly emerging from the pandemic with
little to no interest to travel anymore.

Where 'never travelers' are highest

A survey of 16,000 adults in 15 countries by the global intelligence
company Morning Consult found that Asia is home to the highest
percentage of people who said they'll "never travel" again.

Some 15% of South Korean and 14% of Chinese respondents indicated they
would never travel again, according to[107] Morning Consult's "The
State of Travel & Hospitality" report published in August.

North America isn't far behind, with 14% of American and 11% of Mexican
respondents indicating the same.

Yet, no country came close to the travel reluctance shown in Japan,
where some 35% of respondents said they don't intend to travel again.

IFRAME: [108]https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/yo90e/1/

The survey asked about "any leisure travel" and did not differentiate
between domestic or international travel plans, said Lindsey Roeschke,
a travel and hospitality analyst at Morning Consult.

Respondents were surveyed twice this year: in April and July, she said.
During that time, travel confidence increased among other Japanese
respondents, including those who said they plan to travel in the next
three months (+7 points) as well as the next 12 months (+4 points).

But in both surveys, "the number of 'never travelers' ... stayed the
same in Japan," said Roeschke.

Even with travel intentions on the rise, Japan's rates remain far
behind other countries, including those in North Asia, according to the
report.
Why people who don't want to travel aren't talking about it
watch now
VIDEO3:0003:00
Why people who don't want to travel aren't talking about it
[109]Squawk Box Asia

Some 45% of Japanese respondents said they intend to travel in the next
year, compared to 65% in China and 66% in South Korea, the survey
showed.

By contrast, 77% of German respondents said they plan to travel in the
next 12 months.

'Don't want to go overseas'

Many nations saw a travel explosion from pent-up demand, and outbound
travel bookings surged after borders reopened. [110]But Japan's
response to its own reopening has been tepid at best.

Many residents "don't want to go overseas" and are choosing to "travel
inside the country," Dai Miyamoto, the founder of travel
agency [111]Japan Localized, told CNBC in May.

It could be said that the pandemic has reduced the number of Japanese
who decide to travel abroad, but I think the weaker yen has had a
greater impact.
Tetsuya Hanada
managing director, Tabimori Inc.

Some 386,000 Japanese travelers went overseas in August -- a far cry
from the estimated 2.1 million who traveled abroad in August of 2019,
according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

Hideki Furuya, a professor at Japan's Toyo University who studies
tourist behavior, said one reason is the culture's "preference for risk
aversion."

He said peer pressure will also keep travelers close to home if the
risk of contracting Covid-19 is high.
Why people who don't want to travel aren't talking about it
watch now
VIDEO3:0003:00
Why people who don't want to travel aren't talking about it
[112]Squawk Box Asia

Tetsuya Hanada, the managing director of the food and travel company
Tabimori Inc. said he believes finances are an even bigger factor.

"It could be said that the pandemic has reduced the number of Japanese
who decide to travel abroad, but I think the weaker yen has had a
greater impact," he told CNBC Travel.

No place like home

A reluctance to leave Japan isn't new.

In 2019, [113]only 23% of Japanese citizens held passports -- the
lowest rate among G7 nations, according to Nikkei Asia.

We expect to see a return to the pre-2020 demand for international
travel sooner rather than later.
Hideki Furuya
professor at Toyo University

Following a rapid rise in international travel during the 1970s and
1980s, [114]the number of Japanese citizens traveling abroad has
largely stagnated since the mid-1990s, according to statistics from the
Japan National Tourism Organization.

Roughly the same number of Japanese citizens traveled overseas in 2000
and 2017 -- about 18 million -- despite the timeframe being one of
incredible growth for international travel worldwide.

"The language barrier and the lack of consecutive holidays are some of
the reasons why domestic travel is preferred," said Furuya, adding that
"work environments that make it difficult to take paid vacations" is
another factor.
Japan's passport is often cited as one of the strongest in the world,
yet less than one in four Japanese citizens had one in 2019.
Behrouz Mehri | Afp | Getty Images

He also cited the attractiveness of Japan's nature, history, and
culture as further incentive to stay close to home.

This will place additional pressure on destinations that are popular
with Japanese tourists, namely Taiwan, South Korean and [115]Hawaii.

But Hanada said, with time, Japanese citizens will likely travel again.

"The Japanese are easily swayed by the majority, a sentiment that will
change in five years," he said.

Furuya said he expects it won't take that long.

"After seeing and hearing how active Westerners are, we expect to see a
return to the pre-2020 demand for international travel sooner rather
than later," he said.

Others are staying home too

Beyond Japan, other travelers say they too have lost their luster for
travel.

The British artist known as Miles Takes told CNBC Travel that
"international travel still seems a while away" for him.

"In the past, I loved to travel and as recently as the beginning of
this year, I have travelled to Singapore and Poland from London," he
said. But "both these trips triggered anxiety which has since gotten a
lot worse."

A combination of things turned him off from traveling, he said,
including Covid, travel disruptions and having a medically vulnerable
partner.

Singaporean Daniel Chua says he's in no rush to travel for "a mixed bag
of reasons."

But Covid isn't one of them, he said.
"I'm not afraid of the virus," said Singaporean Daniel Chua, shown here
in Edinburgh, Scotland. He told CNBC Travel he's less inclined to
travel, in part, because of its impact on the environment.

A work trip to Europe in June exposed him to a "mess" of flight delays
and staffing shortages, he said. Additionally, he said virtual meetings
are a more efficient use of work time.

Chua also cited sustainability as a disincentive to travel, calling it
a "core belief in my work and personal life."

But he acknowledged he's surrounded by people who are traveling.

"I don't talk to them about why I don't travel, not to burst their
bubble or to, you know, be the party pooper amidst all of this
celebration," he said. "For me, it's a personal decision."

Chua said he believes there are more people who feel like him, but that
they're traveling out of peer pressure or because of FOMO -- or the
"fear of missing out."

Neither affect him though, he said.

"I have traveled so much previously," he said. "There's no particular
country in the world that I really must visit right now."

[116]More In CNBC Travel

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[117]Monica Pitrelli
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[118]Monica Pitrelli
The easiest way to travel full time? See what a 28-year-old paid for an
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[119]Lucy Handley
[120]Read More
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