Hongkongers eye Japan for ‘revenge travel’, with country among top destinations for city residents with wanderlust
- Hong Kong visitors to Japan reached almost 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in June, becoming fourth-biggest group of travellers there
- Cathay Pacific Airways, says it expects to post a net profit of up to HK$4.5 billion for the first half of 2023, following three straight years of losses
Hongkongers’ interest in travel to Japan this summer has more than doubled from pre-pandemic levels, according to online agency Expedia, despite airfares that are expected to stay high for the rest of the year.
Over 45 per cent of flight searches in July and August were for destinations in Japan, more than double that of the same period in 2019, said Expedia Group brands’ Asian head of public relations, Lavinia Rajaram.
She said the cheaper yen and relatively high number of flights could have made Japan attractive to Hong Kong travellers.
Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka were among the top five destinations booked through Expedia for July and August, along with Bangkok and Taipei. The rest of the top 10 were London, Kaohsiung, Seoul, Phuket and Okinawa.
Hong Kong is experiencing strong travel demand, despite more expensive ticket prices which have allowed airlines to recoup losses incurred during the Covid-19 pandemic.