Japan sees tourism surge from Rugby World Cup fans
Japan’s hosting of the Rugby World Cup has led to a surge in tourism from travellers from the competing nations.
A study by travel data firm ForwardKeys shows a 38.1% jump in flight bookings compared to the same period a year ago.
It analysed flight booking data for the period from September 12 to November 6 which covers the tournament duration and a few days either side.
The day before the opening ceremony saw the highest traffic and fans are staying to watch multiple games in the group stages of the competition.
"When we analyse these visitors in more depth, we see that their average length of stay is 11.7 nights. That tells us that few people are coming to watch a specific game and then returning home; the majority are making a holiday of their visit," said Olivier Ponti, vice president of insights at ForwardKeys.
Japan has seen a major tourism boost from Ireland which is not traditionally a big market for Japan.
Flight bookings have spiked more than 500% despite there being no direct air service.
Irish fans are also spending longer at an average of 12.7 nights.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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