Is Money or Time the Reason for Decreasing Travel Frequency?: An Analysis of the “Travel Divide” (2)

Continuing our analysis of the ‘Travel Divide,’ I aim to delve into its causes, particularly the decline in travel frequency among the elderly. According to the Cabinet Office, ‘72.6% of at-home physically disabled individuals are over the age of 65,’ highlighting a close connection between the elderly and the disabled. Additionally, given the global trend towards an aging population, examining the travel habits of the elderly is of paramount importance.

The ‘Market Research for Future Demand Stimulation – Survey Results on Tourism’ published by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in 2014 presents a fascinating study. In this survey, the predominant belief amongst travelers (those who travel at least once) and non-travelers (those who do not travel at all) was that ‘travel is something one does when there is both time and money’—50.5% of travelers and 43.7% of non-travelers shared this view.

Furthermore, the ‘Travel and Tourism Consumption Trends Survey‘ released by the Japan Tourism Agency in 2018 investigated the reasons why people did not engage in domestic overnight trips (for tourism and recreation purposes). The top reason for not traveling was ‘unable to take vacation due to work or other reasons’ (29.3%), followed by ‘financial constraints’ (26.4%).

Source: Japan Tourism Agency ‘Travel and Tourism Consumption Trend Survey, Q1 2018

Both surveys suggest that the reasons for not traveling (or being unable to travel) boil down to issues of money and time. But is this really the case?

I looked into the correlation between money and travel frequency by generation. Based on the ‘Household Survey Report‘ by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, I examined the savings and debt balances (net savings) prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. The correlation coefficient between this survey and the number of overseas trips in 2019 was -0.87. As commonly stated, older adults tend to have higher net savings, yet their travel frequency decreases.

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Statistics Bureau ‘Household Survey Report’, JTB Travel Annual Report 2020.

I also researched the relationship between time and travel frequency by generation. According to the ‘2016 Social Life Basic Survey’ by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, which looked at tertiary activities (leisure time), the correlation coefficient with the number of overseas trips in 2019 was -0.82. Elderly individuals, who often retire from work, have more leisure time; nevertheless, their travel frequency decreases.

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications ‘2016 Basic Survey on Social Life’, JTB Travel Annual Report 2020

These results indicate that the reasons for not traveling (or being unable to travel) are, at least among different generations, not merely issues of money and time.

So, what is the reason for the decrease in travel frequency among the elderly?

In the next article, I intend to investigate this reason.