Rebounding from a steep decline after last year's terror attacks on the US, Japanese tourists are once again expected to flood abroad during the holiday season, major travel associations said yesterday.
Reservations for package tours next month made through Japan's five main travel agencies were up 147 percent from the same month last year, according to the Japan Association of Travel Agents.
The association said this year's holiday exodus was nearly back to the pre-Sept. 11 levels, reaching 92 percent of the number of reservations made in December 2000.
The fastest-growing area for Japanese tourism is China, which is seeing a 206 percent increase from the same month last year, the association said. Next is Europe, which marks a 187 percent increase over the previous year.
Travel to the US and Canada was also recovering, the association said. Overall, travel to US and Canadian destinations was up 162 percent from December last year, and to Hawaii up 140 percent.
The US, including Hawaii and the Pacific islands of Guam and Saipan, has long been the most popular destination for Japanese tourists.
Despite the decrease since Sept. 11, that has not changed, said association spokeswoman Toshiko Kato.
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