Make 2012 a Japan gap year

Next year could be a great one to go on a gap year experience in Japan.

That's because a fleet of new budget airlines are set to roll out in the country, hopefully spearheading a rise in the number of people heading off on a gap year in the country.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) gappers will be presented with a host of new options next year with the launch of new low-cost domestic carriers.

Speaking at London's World Travel Market on November 8th 2011, Kylie Clark, head of PR and marketing at the JNTO, said that 2011 had been a difficult year for Japanese tourism in the wake of the earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, with visitor numbers dropping by 65 per cent back in April 2011.

But she explained that tourist intake has stabilised since then and that the JNTO hopes 2012 will be "a really big year in terms of aviation".

The introduction of three new low-cost domestic carriers, Peach Aviation, AirAsia Japan and Jetstar Japan, will "open up Japan massively" and make it "so much cheaper for people to explore the country," Ms Clark suggested.

World Travel Market is a four-day business-to-business event presenting a diverse range of destinations and industry sectors to UK and International travel professionals.