An exploratory study of factors of Japanese tourism demand for the UK

People have reasons for what they do and are motivated by driving forces that make them act in a certain way. The tourism industry is not an exception to this rule. However, due to its global nature, the tourism industry may involve a rather wider set of energising forces and tourist motivation will vary from nation to nation. Some authors have studied Japanese tourists’ behaviour; however, very little research has taken place to find out how Japanese culture and travel motivation are related to each other. What is more, differences between younger and older generations have not been considered. This study’s research objective was to reveal various cultural aspects of demand as well as the constraints and the push factors that motivate the Japanese to choose outbound holidays. Over the past 25 years the Japanese representation in the international tourism market has been steadily increasing as a consequence of economic growth and level of expenditure. The recent economic recession does not appear to have had much of a negative effect on outbound tours, as overseas travel has been widely popularised. In understanding this trend this exploratory study has identified UK’s features such as culture, language and novelty to be important pull factors.