Survey: Spending Set to Increase over Golden Week

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Travelers fill a departure lobby at Haneda Airport on April 29, 2022, the first day of the Golden Week holiday period.

People plan to spend an average of ¥27,870 during the upcoming Golden Week holiday period, 1.7 times more than last year, according to a survey by research company Intage Inc.

The increase suggests people will travel and spend more this year, amid significantly eased coronavirus-related restrictions.

Among respondents, 23.5% said they will go shopping, 18.9% said they will dine out and 14.4% said they will travel in Japan. Percentages for such Golden Week outings increased by 1.3 to 3.6 points each, compared to last year.

Meanwhile, 37.9% were undecided and 34.9% planned to stay at home, down 2.7 percentage points compared to last year.

More than 60% of the respondents who plan to travel in Japan said the trip would last 1-2 nights.

“The high cost of living and hesitance to go on long trips might be why people are keeping their travel plans short,” a person in charge of the survey said.

The survey was conducted online from March 31 to April 3, involving 2,768 people aged 15-79.