Determinants of tourism demand in Japan: A comparative analysis of day trips, domestic, overseas, and homecoming tourism

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the determinants of tourism demand as a leisure activity in Japan. For the analysis, data on tourism participation rates from the “Survey on Time Use and Leisure Activities” are used as a proxy for tourism demand. The dependent variable is divided into four types of tourism: day trips, domestic trips, homecoming trips, and overseas trips. A fractional logit model is employed for estimation, as the dependent variable is expressed as a ratio. The explanatory variables are constructed from the perspectives of economic conditions, work–life balance, transportation, and environmental factors. The results show that daily travel time is a common significant factor across all types of tourism demand. Income is also significant for all types except homecoming trips. In addition, the number of private cars per household is negatively associated with homecoming trips, while regions with airports show a positive relationship, although this is not significant for other types of tourism demand. These findings suggest that the determinants of homecoming trips differ somewhat from those of other tourism types. Furthermore, day trips and overseas trips exhibit different patterns with respect to working hours and environmental factors. Overall, the results highlight the importance of considering different forms of tourism when analyzing tourism demand.