52K Japanese Marianas-bound this yearend/New Year

Saipan and Guam will receive 52,000 Japanese visitors during the 12-day yearend season beginning Dec. 23, according to top travel management agency based in Japan.

This represents an 8.3 percent of the 624,000 Japanese expected to take trips with at least one night away from home between Dec. 23, 2005 and Jan. 3, 2006.

The projection by JTB Corp. for the Marianas indicates a 2-percent increase over the number of Japanese who traveled to the Marianas during the same period last year.

JTB Corp. did not provide separate figures for Saipan and Guam.

The survey was conducted at 200 locations throughout Japan from Nov. 4 through Nov. 14. Some 2,200 people were interviewed individually regarding their plans to travel during the New Year season. The survey did not include commercial or other business travel.

Results of the survey showed that demand for travel to remote destinations such as Europe, Oceania, and North America was strong.

Europe will welcome 78,000 and North America 48,000 Japanese visitors this yearend. South Pacific, including Australia, New Zealand and other islands in the region, will receive about 40,500 Japanese tourists, according to JTB.

“Top-selling Italy is the most popular destination for yearend/New-Year travel. Scandinavia and Eastern Europe are more popular this year, too.

Unique destinations that are also popular include Africa and the Middle East (Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Dubai). These appear to be chosen as places to escape the cold, and to be selected by more experienced travelers, so we can expect these new destinations to come into the spotlight for yearend/New-Year travel,” JTB noted.

“In the United States, the West Coast is more popular than it has been for some time thanks to the influence of the Disneyland 50th anniversary celebrations,” the agency said.

The remaining impact of the tsunami on Phuket and of terrorist attacks on Bali would cause a decline in travelers to the two major beach resorts, JTB noted.

“On the other hand, the decline has been at least partially compensated for by the popularity of tourism to cities with beautiful night-time illuminations like Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi),” JTB added.

The travel agency said there were two departure peaks for international destinations. The larger peak will be on Dec. 29 and 30. The other one will be on Jan. 2 and 3.