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The downturn in travelers from Japan isn’t a one-off occurrence (“Japanese visitors trickling back,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 19).
A worldwide survey by the global intelligence company Morning Consult found that Asia has the highest percentage of people who say they’ll “never travel again.” Japan leads Asia and the entire world, with 35% saying they don’t plan to travel. The next closest country is South Korea at 15%, while China and the U.S. are tied at 14%.
The reasons cited by the Japanese include a weak yen, rising crime, travel disruptions and the presence of COVID-19.
From 2000 to 2017, the number of Japanese traveling overseas remained stagnant while international travel experienced incredible growth worldwide. This trend will continue into the foreseeable future. Instead of putting all our eggs in the tourism basket, maybe it’s time to stop talking and start acting on diversifying our economy.
Bert Oshiro
Hawaii Kai
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