Japanese travellers are increasingly using social media input and smartphone apps to improve their travel experiences, according to a recent survey.
JTB Tourism Research and Consulting’s November 2023 poll on the smartphone use and travel consumption patterns of 10,000 people living in metropolitan areas in Japan indicates an uptick in seeking recommendations – either from direct messages on apps or social media feeds – and making bookings on apps, both before and during trips.
More Japanese travellers are booking travel products on their smartphones
Video platforms saw the greatest rise in use as a travel information source, with YouTube visited by 71 per cent of respondents, up from 64 per cent in 2019, the previous year of the survey. TikTok consumption grew the most, reaching 18 per cent from four per cent in 2019.
More respondents are also using Instagram, for inspiration and for information via messaging, reposts and captions, with 51 per cent of respondents using the platform to support destination planning, up from 39 per cent in 2019.
Map apps continue to be the most popular smartphone tool after search engines, but the study shows their function is diversifying. In addition to getting directions, 31 per cent of respondents used map apps to look up information on shops, 23 per cent searched for restaurants and shops near their location/destination, and 23 per cent pinned places they wanted to go as a memo.
The number of respondents booking travel products on their smartphones increased from 50 per cent in 2019 to 60 per cent in 2023. The most commonly purchased item was accommodation (40 per cent), followed by flights (16 per cent), restaurant meals (16 per cent), domestic tours (15 per cent) events (12 per cent) and train/bus tickets (nine per cent).
The use of AI-related services, including interpretation/translation support and search services for captured images, reached 43 per cent, up from 31 per cent in 2019.
Japanese travellers are increasingly using social media input and smartphone apps to improve their travel experiences, according to a recent survey.
JTB Tourism Research and Consulting’s November 2023 poll on the smartphone use and travel consumption patterns of 10,000 people living in metropolitan areas in Japan indicates an uptick in seeking recommendations – either from direct messages on apps or social media feeds – and making bookings on apps, both before and during trips.
Video platforms saw the greatest rise in use as a travel information source, with YouTube visited by 71 per cent of respondents, up from 64 per cent in 2019, the previous year of the survey. TikTok consumption grew the most, reaching 18 per cent from four per cent in 2019.
More respondents are also using Instagram, for inspiration and for information via messaging, reposts and captions, with 51 per cent of respondents using the platform to support destination planning, up from 39 per cent in 2019.
Map apps continue to be the most popular smartphone tool after search engines, but the study shows their function is diversifying. In addition to getting directions, 31 per cent of respondents used map apps to look up information on shops, 23 per cent searched for restaurants and shops near their location/destination, and 23 per cent pinned places they wanted to go as a memo.
The number of respondents booking travel products on their smartphones increased from 50 per cent in 2019 to 60 per cent in 2023. The most commonly purchased item was accommodation (40 per cent), followed by flights (16 per cent), restaurant meals (16 per cent), domestic tours (15 per cent) events (12 per cent) and train/bus tickets (nine per cent).
The use of AI-related services, including interpretation/translation support and search services for captured images, reached 43 per cent, up from 31 per cent in 2019.