2008.08.26 Tuesday
Tourism Industry Rolling Out Welcome Mat For Foreign Visitors
An influx of foreign tourists is providing welcome relief to the Japanese tourism industry, which has been suffering from sluggish domestic demand.
Visitors to Japan have been growing steadily, thanks partly to the euro's appreciation against the yen and the growing ranks of wealthy people in China and Russia.
According to the Japan National Tourist Organization, foreign tourists to Japan in the January-June period increased 10% from the same period a year earlier to 4.33 million people.
With the trend remaining mostly unchanged in July and August, the government anticipates the total number of foreign tourists this year climbing by about 10% to 9.15 million people. If the current rate of growth continues, the government's goal of attracting 10 million foreign visitors in 2010 may well be achieved a year ahead of schedule.
Travel agency JTB Corp. saw revenue from its Sunrise Tours brand Japanese tour packages for foreigners grow 12% from a year earlier last month.
"Foreign customers have tended to spike in spring and autumn, but they are continuing to come in the summer this year," a JTB official said.
At Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo's Shinjuku district, rooms rented by foreign guests accounted for a record 69% of overall room rentals in July. The high-rise hotel attracted a number of guests from China, South Korea, Taiwan and Europe.
Many companies in the leisure industry are stepping up efforts to lure foreign tourists.
Hato Bus Co., a Tokyo-based operator of bus tours, began introducing buses equipped with a multilingual audio guide system last autumn. Today, 12 of its 14 buses have the system on board, providing sightseeing information in Korean, Chinese and other languages. Hato Bus served 8,312 foreign customers last month, up nearly 10% from three years earlier.
Japanese golf courses are a major attraction for South Koreans, who face a limited choice at home. In addition, many golf clubs in South Korea charge expensive fees. Pacific Golf Management KK, which operates a total of 16 golf courses in Kyushu and Okinawa, saw those facilities pull in 10% more South Korean customers than a year earlier in the January-June half.
Many first-time foreign tourists follow the standard itinerary of visiting Kyoto on a shinkansen bullet train after sightseeing around Tokyo. But a growing number of repeat visitors, mostly affluent tourists from China and other East Asian neighbors, have expanded the potential of lesser known destinations.
In an effort to lure more foreign tourists, the Nara prefectural government on Aug. 1 started offering foreign tourists free admission to its folk museum and three other cultural facilities.
And Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture is becoming increasingly popular among foreigners for its easy access from central Tokyo and great views of Mt. Fuji from Ashinoko lake. In 2007, 150,000 foreign visitors stayed at accommodations in Hakone, up more than 40% from a year earlier.
It is a similar story at the Kinugawa Kawaji hot spa resort in Tochigi Prefecture, which also offers easy access from Tokyo and some uniquely Japanese experiences.
The Miyajima island, one of the World Heritage Sites designated by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, was named a three-star sightseeing spot last year by a travel guide published by France's Michelin. This has led to increased visitors from France and Germany.
But nationwide, visitors from China have been driving the healthy growth in foreign tourists. The amount of transactions made using debit cards issued by China UnionPay Co. came to 4 billion yen in fiscal 2007, jumping fivefold from a year earlier. As of July 31, 11,600 stores in Japan accepted the Chinese card, an increase of more than 50% year on year.
(Source: Nihon Keizai Shinbun, 2008-8-22)
Visitors to Japan have been growing steadily, thanks partly to the euro's appreciation against the yen and the growing ranks of wealthy people in China and Russia.
According to the Japan National Tourist Organization, foreign tourists to Japan in the January-June period increased 10% from the same period a year earlier to 4.33 million people.
With the trend remaining mostly unchanged in July and August, the government anticipates the total number of foreign tourists this year climbing by about 10% to 9.15 million people. If the current rate of growth continues, the government's goal of attracting 10 million foreign visitors in 2010 may well be achieved a year ahead of schedule.
Travel agency JTB Corp. saw revenue from its Sunrise Tours brand Japanese tour packages for foreigners grow 12% from a year earlier last month.
"Foreign customers have tended to spike in spring and autumn, but they are continuing to come in the summer this year," a JTB official said.
At Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo's Shinjuku district, rooms rented by foreign guests accounted for a record 69% of overall room rentals in July. The high-rise hotel attracted a number of guests from China, South Korea, Taiwan and Europe.
Many companies in the leisure industry are stepping up efforts to lure foreign tourists.
Hato Bus Co., a Tokyo-based operator of bus tours, began introducing buses equipped with a multilingual audio guide system last autumn. Today, 12 of its 14 buses have the system on board, providing sightseeing information in Korean, Chinese and other languages. Hato Bus served 8,312 foreign customers last month, up nearly 10% from three years earlier.
Japanese golf courses are a major attraction for South Koreans, who face a limited choice at home. In addition, many golf clubs in South Korea charge expensive fees. Pacific Golf Management KK, which operates a total of 16 golf courses in Kyushu and Okinawa, saw those facilities pull in 10% more South Korean customers than a year earlier in the January-June half.
Many first-time foreign tourists follow the standard itinerary of visiting Kyoto on a shinkansen bullet train after sightseeing around Tokyo. But a growing number of repeat visitors, mostly affluent tourists from China and other East Asian neighbors, have expanded the potential of lesser known destinations.
In an effort to lure more foreign tourists, the Nara prefectural government on Aug. 1 started offering foreign tourists free admission to its folk museum and three other cultural facilities.
And Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture is becoming increasingly popular among foreigners for its easy access from central Tokyo and great views of Mt. Fuji from Ashinoko lake. In 2007, 150,000 foreign visitors stayed at accommodations in Hakone, up more than 40% from a year earlier.
It is a similar story at the Kinugawa Kawaji hot spa resort in Tochigi Prefecture, which also offers easy access from Tokyo and some uniquely Japanese experiences.
The Miyajima island, one of the World Heritage Sites designated by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, was named a three-star sightseeing spot last year by a travel guide published by France's Michelin. This has led to increased visitors from France and Germany.
But nationwide, visitors from China have been driving the healthy growth in foreign tourists. The amount of transactions made using debit cards issued by China UnionPay Co. came to 4 billion yen in fiscal 2007, jumping fivefold from a year earlier. As of July 31, 11,600 stores in Japan accepted the Chinese card, an increase of more than 50% year on year.
(Source: Nihon Keizai Shinbun, 2008-8-22)
