OPTIONS for budget traveling between the Philippines and Japan have increased immensely this quarter, thanks to the addition of 18 new services introduced by Jetstar Japan on Friday, a move that is seen to stimulate traffic between the two nations.
During the Philippine Travel Agencies Association’s Travel Tour Expo, Jetstar Japan Chairman Masaru Kataoka unveiled the three new routes that the company will open this month.
“Travelers from Manila now have other budget options going to Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, and vice versa. Jetstar has been operating flights from the Philippines since April 2005, and these new services between Japan and Manila will build on Jetstar’s success of these flights,” he said in a media briefing.
Kataoka said the company decided to open the new destinations as more and more Filipinos have traveled to Japan, with their spending capacity increasing due to the expanding Philippine economy.
“Japan is fast becoming a popular destination for Filipino travelers, and we want to support this by making travel more accessible with our everyday low fares. From the three major cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, Filipinos can explore other parts of Japan, connected by Jetstar Japan’s extensive domestic network,” he said.
Government data showed 230,000 Filipinos traveled to Japan last year. This is significantly higher—at about 45 percent—than the figure the year prior. The increase was attributed to the weakening of the Japanese yen, and the relaxation of the visa application to the Land of the Rising Sun.
“We believe that trend will continue. Our new routes will help accelerate these numbers. We expect travel between the Philippines and Japan to grow by more than 50 percent with the new services. At the same time, Japan visitors in the Philippines is exceeding 400,000. This number will also help grow the new low-cost carrier market,” Kataoka said.
He added: “Our services will also support the increasing number of Japanese tourists visiting the Philippines, as it is a popular year-round destination with its wide selection of shopping, beaches, leisure activities, as well as its vibrant arts and entertainment scene. Of course, the Japanese are always very impressed by the Filipinos’ warm hospitality.”
Jetstar Japan currently operates up to 100 services a day and flies to 11 domestic destinations in Japan and two international destinations. Manila is the third international destination added to Jetstar Japan’s roster after Hong Kong and Taipei in 2015.
The company has carried over 12 million passengers last year, a significant increase from the volume the year prior. The recently introduced routes will help keep the trend growing.
“We have carried almost over 12 million passengers in the past year. We expect steady growth, with Manila being the third international destination for Jetstar Japan,” Kataoka said. “By introducing the new low-cost carrier option, the overall market will grow, without affecting existing airlines.”
Local carriers Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have existing operations in major cities in Japan.
The Philippines’s AirAsia is also planning to launch its Manila-Tokyo route sometime soon.