Number of summer travelers abroad expected to fall 5.8%

TOKYO —The number of people planning overseas trips for two days or longer during the summer holiday season from July 15 through Aug 31 is expected to fall 5.8% to 2.1 million from last year for the third yearly decline, according to a survey released by JTB Corp. The travel agency attributed the low figure to a decline in summer bonuses and the spread of the new strain of influenza in some countries.

The number of people going to Southern Hemisphere nations is also expected to decrease sharply because of fears that the new flu could spread during the winter there. The number of holidaymakers traveling to Australia is projected to fall 15.5% to 60,000 and the figure for New Zealand to decline 26.7% to 11,000.

Kyodo News Service