1. Lonely trip
Traveling alone is on the rise
Minoru Shiina
Freelance Business Development Specialist
Jan 2020
http://linktr.ee/minorushiina
2. Summary
• Many Japanese young generations are becoming to
travel alone. The global trend of the diversification
of consumers seems to get stronger in Japan. Many
prefer to go with a self-tailored itinerary. They used
to take a vacation with their friends, families, and
colleagues, but their lifestyle varies on a large scale
nowadays.
3. That created the huge trend of visiting
fun places by herself or himself. Also,
the preference varies from person to
person. It makes it hard for them to find
an individual or a group of people who
have the same taste.
4. Major travel agencies like HIS and Nippon Travel and
other agencies are promoting solo trip plans and
campaigns. According to the research of the Recruit
Lifestyle, the rate of the solo trip increases between
20-49 years old, and that is over 200% from 2004-
2018. The solo travelers consist of 18% of the total
travelers in Japan. The industry expects more solo
traffic in 2020.
5. Consumer analysis
B E H AV I O R B E H I N D I T
Technology, like google, helps to travel alone a lot.
However, not only that, their diversified lifestyle
and work style makes it hard to match the
schedule and preferences together with friends
and families at the same time. Consequently,
people choose to travel alone. The individualism is
getting stronger than ever before. Also, society is
shifting that way.
6. Some decades ago, people's prevailing belief was
that a tall tree gets much wind. They used to try
to accommodate a group or organization as much
as they can. Some elderlies criticize this trend as
selfish, but many see it as an identity.
7. First, they want to get away from the busy
days of work. Complete relaxation and
escapism are helping them mentally. Some
shut off smartphones completely during
the vacation.
INSIGHT
8. Second, they want to search for what they
love as a person or hobby. People used to
read between the lines almost as a social
norm. They might read them but strongly
prioritize their preferences. Lastly, complete
freedom by being herself or himself.
Individual preferences become widely
accepted and respected once it wasn't a
polite way to behave in society.
9. However, it doesn't mean they want to get
away from people's interactions or to isolate
themselves from society. The way people travel
is shifting. They feel loneliness when they
travel alone, so some choose to stay at a
hostel to seek new friendships with like-minded
people at the destinations.
10. It is the destination where they can find
friends and communities,
not the point of departure as it used to be.
11. References
LIST OF SOURCES USED
Nine Steps to More Effective Parenting
https://www.recruit- lifestyle.co.jp/uploads/2019/07/RecruitLifestyle_jalan_201 90709.pdf
2019, July 9th
15. Author: Minoru Shiina
PROFILE
Business development specialist for foreign-based
multinational corporations and small and medium-sized
enterprises in Japan, backed by his 7+ years of international
trading experience.
His multinational customers are including multi-billion dollar
companies and Fortune 500 companies, mainly specialized in
IT and manufacturing industries. He generally reports to APAC
regional headquarters or directly to headquarters to bridge
stakeholders in Japan.
Visit my social media:
http://linktr.ee/minorushiina
