Japan braces for mass travel during holidays

Japanese holidaymakers were gearing up Friday for a jumble of public holidays when an estimated 22.4 million travellers are expected to collectively spend $8.5 billion. Appetite for travel during the so-called "Golden Week" holidays appears undiminished, a study by JTB Corp, Japan's biggest travel agency said, despite a consumption tax hike and a general inclination to save money amid a still-fragile economy. "This is a great season to travel. Our analysis shows that there are more people making shorter trips this year, rather than long travels, because of the way holidays are aligned," a JTB spokeswoman said. Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to cram airports from Friday afternoon to jet off to holiday hotspots at home and abroad, while major highways were expected to see bumper-to-bumper traffic, according to AFP.