Only Singapore has a mightier passport than Japan. But most Japanese don’t own 1

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Singapore beats Japan with world’s most access-friendly passport in 2023

Singapore beats Japan with world’s most access-friendly passport in 2023

Due to greater-than-anticipated demand, a second campaign is now under consideration, according to Miyabi Nanya, who works on marketing strategy at Peach, a subsidiary of ANA Holdings Inc.

No matter how much airlines and others promote the appeal of overseas travel, Nanya said there’s always the hurdle of “not having a passport when the time comes, plus it takes time and money to get one”.

As tourists flock to Japan, locals aren’t going anywhere

One reason fewer Japanese hold passports is because there are plenty of domestic, enjoyable travel options in the island nation, according to Yoko Hayano, chief consultant at JTB Tourism Research & Consulting Co. “To a certain extent, people are satisfied without having to travel overseas,” she said.

Higher costs due to inflation overseas and the weak yen, as well as the war in Ukraine and instability abroad, may have dampened demand for overseas travel, on top of the Covid pandemic, according to the Japan Association of Travel Agents. The group ran a campaign to defray the cost of getting a passport through September, and believes that more measures will be needed to stimulate demand.