Why Are Fewer Japanese People Traveling Abroad?

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1. 01Why Are Fewer Japanese People Traveling Abroad?

   Good afternoon, everyone. Japan is welcoming record numbers of foreign visitors. But when I asked my coworkers about their summer plans, almost nobody was going abroad. That made me curious. Today, I'll look at the numbers for Japanese people traveling overseas.

   大家午安。日本正迎來創紀錄的外國旅客人數。但當我問同事暑假有什麼計畫時，幾乎沒有人要出國。這讓我很好奇。今天，我要來看看日本人出國旅遊的數字。

2. 02The Numbers

   According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, about twenty point one million Japanese people traveled abroad in 2019. In 2024, the number was about thirteen million, roughly thirty-five percent lower.

   根據日本政府觀光局的資料，2019年大約有兩千零一十萬名日本人出國旅遊。到了2024年，這個數字大約是一千三百萬，減少了大約百分之三十五。

   Source: Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), outbound travel statistics

3. 03Two Trends Moving in Opposite Directions

   What makes this interesting is the contrast. While foreign visitors to Japan reached a record in 2024, the number of Japanese travelers going abroad was still far below its 2019 level.

   有趣的地方在於這個對比。2024年訪日外國旅客創下紀錄，但日本人出國旅遊的人數仍然遠低於2019年的水準。

   Source: Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), visitor arrival and outbound statistics

4. 04Possible Reason 1: A Weak Yen

   Why might this be? One possible reason is the weak yen. The same thing that makes Japan cheaper for visitors makes foreign hotels and meals feel more expensive for Japanese travelers.

   為什麼會這樣呢？一個可能的原因是日圓走弱。讓日本對外國旅客來說變便宜的同一件事，也讓國外的飯店和餐點對日本旅客來說感覺更貴。

5. 05Possible Reason 2: Rising Costs

   Another possible reason is rising travel costs in general. From what my friends say, flights and hotels abroad seem more expensive than before the pandemic, so many people choose domestic trips instead.

   另一個可能的原因是整體旅遊費用上漲。聽我朋友說，國外的機票和飯店好像比疫情前更貴了，所以很多人改選國內旅遊。

6. 06Being Careful With Causes

   But I want to be careful. The numbers show what happened, not exactly why. Age, work culture, and changing interests might also play a role, and I don't have data to prove any single cause.

   不過我想謹慎一點。這些數字顯示的是發生了什麼事，而不是確切的原因。年齡、職場文化和興趣的改變也可能有影響，而我沒有資料可以證明是哪一個單一原因。

7. 07Why It Matters

   Why does this matter? Travel is one of the best ways to build language skills and understand other cultures. If fewer people go abroad, especially young people, they may miss those experiences.

   這為什麼重要呢？旅行是培養語言能力、了解其他文化最好的方式之一。如果出國的人變少，尤其是年輕人，他們可能就會錯過這些經驗。

8. 08Conclusion

   To conclude, Japanese travel abroad has not returned to its 2019 level, even as visitors to Japan hit records. Whatever the reasons, I hope more people, especially young people, will find a way to see the world. Thank you.

   總結來說，即使訪日旅客不斷創新高，日本人出國旅遊仍然沒有回到2019年的水準。不管原因是什麼，我都希望有更多人，特別是年輕人，能找到方法去看看這個世界。謝謝大家。

   Source: Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), visitor arrival and outbound statistics