Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds – Coronavirus, Travel, and Inbound Tourism Results of 51st installment announced

The 51st installment of the Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds, launched by The Nippon Foundation in October 2018, was carried out from October 21 to 25 on the subject of “Coronavirus, Travel, and Inbound Tourism.” The survey of 1,000 respondents in Japan aged 17 to 19 was intended to examine young people’s thinking regarding the relaxation of border controls introduced to stop the spread of coronavirus infections, and travel within and outside Japan.
Roughly 80% of respondents were aware that border controls have been relaxed and roughly 70% approved of the relaxation, for reasons including the economic boost from spending by tourists from overseas. In addition, roughly 80% supported government programs distributing vouchers to stimulate demand for domestic tourism, and a general trend of support was seen for the government encouraging travel by both Japanese tourists and tourists from overseas.
At the same time, roughly 30% of respondents reported having given up plans to travel abroad for tourism or study and roughly 60% said that they had canceled plans to travel or move to a new residence within Japan, indicating that the pandemic has restricted young people’s actions. With regard to the yen’s sharp depreciation that was occurring when the survey was taken, close to 70% expected the number of overseas tourists visiting Japan to increase, and roughly 30% expected the number of Japanese tourists traveling overseas to decline.

Highlights of the 51st Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds – Coronavirus, Travel, and Inbound Tourism

Support for relaxation of border restrictions introduced to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections (“Support” + “Somewhat support”): 74.7%

Support for government programs to stimulate demand for domestic tourism (“Support” + “Somewhat support”): 79.4%

Effect on plans to travel or move within Japan or overseas because of the pandemic

  • Have given up plans to travel overseas – 29.5%
  • Have given up plans to travel or move to a new residence within Japan – 56.6%
  • Percentage of all respondents who did not reply “Have not given up plans” or “Did not have plans in the first place.”

Effect of relaxation of border restrictions and yen’s depreciation

  • Number of tourists visiting Japan from overseas will increase – 68.2%
  • Number of tourists from Japan traveling overseas will decrease – 30.9%
  • Total of “Will increase / Will decrease” and “Will increase somewhat / Will decrease somewhat.”

Survey Excerpts

Bar chart showing results from Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds: In response to the question, “What is your opinion regarding the relaxation of pandemic-related border restrictions?”, among all respondents (n = 1,000), 28.6% replied “Support,” 46.1% replied “Somewhat support,” 20.2% replied “Somewhat oppose,” and 5.1% replied “Oppose.” Among male respondents (n = 514), 35.2% replied “Support,” 43.2% replied “Somewhat support,” 16.0% replied “Somewhat oppose,” and 5.6% replied “Oppose.” Among female respondents (n = 486), 21.6% replied “Support,” 49.2% replied “Somewhat support,” 24.7% replied “Somewhat oppose,” and 4.5% replied “Oppose.”
Opinion regarding relaxation of pandemic-related border restrictions
Bar chart showing results from Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds: In response to the question, “Has the coronavirus pandemic affected your plans to travel overseas?”, among all respondents (n = 1,000), 70.5% replied “Have not given up plans / Did not have plans in the first place,” 13.0% replied “Had plans or hoped to travel overseas for tourism, but gave up those plans,” 9.5% replied “Had plans or hoped to study overseas, but gave up those plans,” and 9.6% replied “Had plans or hoped to travel overseas for other reasons, but gave up those plans.” Among male respondents (n = 514), 69.8% replied “Have not given up plans / Did not have plans in the first place,” 13.2% replied “Had plans or hoped to travel overseas for tourism, but gave up those plans,” 11.9% replied “Had plans or hoped to study overseas, but gave up those plans,” and 8.9% replied “Had plans or hoped to travel overseas for other reasons, but gave up those plans.”.” Among female respondents (n = 486), 71.2% replied “Have not given up plans / Did not have plans in the first place,” 12.8% replied “Had plans or hoped to travel overseas for tourism, but gave up those plans,” 7.0% replied “Had plans or hoped to study overseas, but gave up those plans,” and 10.3% replied “Had plans or hoped to travel overseas for other reasons, but gave up those plans.”
Effect of coronavirus pandemic on plans to travel overseas
Bar chart showing results from Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds: In response to the question, “Has the coronavirus pandemic affected your plans to travel or move to a new residence within Japan?”, among all respondents (n = 1,000), 43.4% replied “Have not given up plans / Did not have plans in the first place,” 36.3% replied “Had plans or hoped to travel within Japan for tourism, but gave up those plans,” 9.3% replied “Had plans or hoped to move to a new residence within Japan for work, school, etc. but gave up those plans,” and 13.9% replied “Had plans or hoped to travel within Japan for other reasons, but gave up those plans.” Among male respondents (n = 514), 40.9% replied “Have not given up plans / Did not have plans in the first place,” 36.4% replied “Had plans or hoped to travel within Japan for tourism, but gave up those plans,” 12.3% replied “Had plans or hoped to move to a new residence within Japan for work, school, etc. but gave up those plans,” and 14.2% replied “Had plans or hoped to travel within Japan for other reasons, but gave up those plans.” Among female respondents (n = 486), 46.1% replied “Have not given up plans / Did not have plans in the first place,” 36.2% replied “Had plans or hoped to travel within Japan for tourism, but gave up those plans,” 6.2% replied “Had plans or hoped to move to a new residence within Japan for work, school, etc. but gave up those plans,” and 13.6% replied “Had plans or hoped to travel within Japan for other reasons, but gave up those plans.”
Effect of coronavirus pandemic on plans to travel or move to a new residence within Japan

Notes:

  1. From the 13th survey, the number of respondents, comprising men and women aged 17 to 19, has been increased to 1,000 from 800.
  2. With the exception of the 20th and 46th installments, “Awareness Survey of Society and Country,” all surveys cover respondents in Japan only.

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Contact

Public Relations Team
The Nippon Foundation

  • Email: cc@ps.nippon-foundation.or.jp

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