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JATA's Survey: Bookings Are Slow at Leading Package Tour Wholesalers for Jan./ Mar. Period Mid-February, 2008
Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) made a survey of
booking status with six leading package tour wholesalers for the
period from January through March this year and found that the
performance is on a weak note for all the destinations with an
exception of Asia.
The six wholesalers are JTB, Kinki Nippon Tourist, Nippon Travel
Agency, Hankyu Express, JALPAK, and ANA Sales. The number of
bookings, with all destinations put together, shows a decline of 7.1
percent in January from last year, a decline of 6.5 percent in
February, and a decline of 13.2 percent in March.
Another hike of fuel surcharge, rising ground cost, unfavorable
exchange rate of the yen - these are working together to push up
travel expenses and discourage people from making a trip.
As far as Asia is concerned as a destination, bookings are strong
for the first three months as it sees a growth of 1.3 percent in
January, 2.8 percent in February, and 1.3 percent in March but
nevertheless they are not strong enough to exert a pull of other
destinations. Europe is not outstanding and yet stays rather solid
with a negative growth of 0.3 percent in January, plus 0.1 percent in
February, and minus 8.0 percent in March.
Other destinations that were not mentioned here suffer so steep
declines of two digits that they are not likely to recover
significantly even if they could successfully take in late bookings.
Therefore, leisure-tour-oriented travel agencies seem to have a hard
time in making a profit for the time being.
*Growth of combined bookings of six major wholesalers over last year
(JATA survey) (Destination: growth in January / growth in February /
growth in March)
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