Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Destinations > Asia > Japan
Reload this Page >

Attracting More Tourists

Attracting More Tourists

Old Jul 21, 2016, 8:15 am
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL PM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,337
Attracting More Tourists

Last night there was an interesting session on Prime News with a politician, foreign consultant and Hoshino-san (Hoshinoya Resorts) talking about whether and how Japan could increase tourism from the current level of 20MM visitors a year to 40MM by 2020.

Curious to hear from people who have visited Japan what they think would help to make Japan an even more popular tourist destination.
5khours is offline  
Old Jul 21, 2016, 8:25 am
  #2  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Beantown! (BOS)
Programs: AA PtPro (2 MM); Hilton Diamond; Hertz President Cr; DL SkyMiles; UA MileagePlus
Posts: 3,426
Originally Posted by 5khours
...increase tourism from the current level of 20MM visitors a year to 40MM by 2020.
3 hrs. wait at a passport control for Gaijin at NRT?

Seriously though, how can we keep places not busy without wait and still double number of visitors? For example, today Kyoto is usually very busy with tourists. Compare with 20 years ago, even 10 years ago, I do think Kyoto has lost little bit of charm which made Kyoto what it used to be because of number of visitors at Kyoto today.
AlwaysAisle is offline  
Old Jul 21, 2016, 9:08 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Smyrna, GA, USA
Programs: DL FO 1MM
Posts: 1,760
To that end, perhaps focusing on seasonal variation might be the way to go. Find a way to attract more visitors during times which are less popular. I'm not sure what that would be, though.
angra is offline  
Old Jul 21, 2016, 12:45 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,298
Spring = Cherry Blossoms, Fall = Fall leaf colors, Winter = Skiing for the Australians. I'm not sure about summer. Perhaps August for the various festivals?

They could probably get more repeat visitors if there was more international hospitality and cultural training for Japanese service industry like hotels and restaurants. Americans equate flexibility with service and are puzzled when upscale Japanese establishments don't offer an early check-in or replace some part of a dish (or even ask about food allergies with set course meals). I see comments from Thai/Malaysian reviews complaining that the $$$ hotel didn't include bottled water (pretty standard in their domestic tourism). Some of my co-workers are vegetarian and while I've assured them they will have no dietary issues in the big foreign tourism areas, they would probably be out of luck in smaller ones, especially if they want to visit Japanese restaurants as they come across them instead of being compelled to eat Indian food.

Friends who haven't been to Japan usually ask if it is ok to visit without speaking or reading Japanese. An overseas campaign showing how transportation also repeats announcements in English and how easy it is to order food would probably be useful. English seemed to work for many of the European, Australian/NZ, Singapore, and Hong Kong tourists. The major electronic stores already repeat everything in several languages. Kyushu has a lot of Korean speakers in tourism roles. Kyoto/Osaka seemed to have plenty of Mandarin speakers.

I remember checking out reviews for two of the Hoshino resorts in Tohoku for a recent vacation and deciding to skip them when Tripadvisor Japanese reviews (google translated) mentioned how many overseas guests there were. As far as I can tell, overseas marketing and in-hotel staff which speaks your language seems to help bring in foreign guests.

Last edited by freecia; Jul 21, 2016 at 1:11 pm
freecia is offline  
Old Jul 21, 2016, 2:05 pm
  #5  
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota,USA
Programs: UA, NW
Posts: 3,752
When I tell acquaintances that I'm going to Japan (I go every two or three years these days), the most common reaction is, "But isn't it awfully expensive?"

Over 30 years ago, the popular magazine program 60 Minutes did a feature on prices in Japan. They went to Tokyo and did everything in what was clearly the most expensive way possible: cab from NRT, meals at exclusive restaurants, expensive international hotels, including a Western-style breakfast with much more food than most people eat for breakfast, and of course, the $80 gift watermelons.

That TV program has evidently become embedded in the American mind.

Backpackers who have just come from Indonesia or Thailand also contribute to the impression that Japan is impossibly expensive. Here they have been trekking through the inexpensive countries of Southeast Asia, eating at street stands, and suddenly, they come to a First World country, and it violates their impression that Asia is supposed to be cheap.

For that reason, more information about budget travel would be a good way to entice more Western tourists to Japan. Emphasize its safety and the fact that you can drink the tap water. Feature interviews with Western tourists who have enjoyed budget trips to Japan. Show what a room in a business hotel looks like. Show examples of some of the teishoku (set meals) available in department store and other restaurants.

(By the way, tourists from other Asian countries may not know that Japanese tap water is safe to drink.)
ksandness is offline  
Old Jul 21, 2016, 3:21 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AMEX AC CX UA AA DL
Posts: 3,008
where are the hotel rooms? Or do they plan to have only group tours and get them sleep in those abandoned hotels littered outside major cities? Or drop all bnb restrictions?

70,000 a night at an APA hotel (known for having the smallest rooms among business hotel chains) in Kyoto during cherry blossom, 2 years in a row. OK
beep88 is offline  
Old Jul 21, 2016, 4:05 pm
  #7  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL PM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,337
Reading the posts on this forum over the last couple of years, it seems like a lot of it is pretty simple.
  • Make immigration faster.
  • Easier to get a SIM card.
  • Easier to get card subway/train card (or Suica/Pasmo)
  • Improve transport into the city (faster from NRT, more direct from HND)
  • Let travelers know you can easily buy Narita Express and Skyliner tickets from the machines in English
  • Cheaper taxis to/from Narita (allow Tokyo taxis to pick up return fares at NRT)
  • Allow ADD meds for kids traveling with families (this restriction probably keeps 50% of US affluent families out of Japan)


To me the other big things are:
  • Train the hotel/resort industry to be more flexible (big +1 on freccia's comments)
  • Make the country more beautiful by putting the power lines and poles underground.
5khours is offline  
Old Jul 21, 2016, 4:32 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: LAX
Programs: UA/AA
Posts: 1,739
Originally Posted by 5khours
Reading the posts on this forum over the last couple of years, it seems like a lot of it is pretty simple.
  • Make immigration faster.
  • Easier to get a SIM card.
  • Easier to get card subway/train card (or Suica/Pasmo)
  • Improve transport into the city (faster from NRT, more direct from HND)
  • Let travelers know you can easily buy Narita Express and Skyliner tickets from the machines in English
  • Cheaper taxis to/from Narita (allow Tokyo taxis to pick up return fares at NRT)
  • Allow ADD meds for kids traveling with families (this restriction probably keeps 50% of US affluent families out of Japan)


To me the other big things are:
  • Train the hotel/resort industry to be more flexible (big +1 on freccia's comments)
  • Make the country more beautiful by putting the power lines and poles underground.
The big thing they could do is get an LCC up-and-running between North America and Japan. A Norwegian Air type long-distance carrier would meaningfully increase tourism to Japan
jaymar01 is offline  
Old Jul 21, 2016, 7:17 pm
  #9  
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Shangri-La Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,412
Originally Posted by jaymar01
The big thing they could do is get an LCC up-and-running between North America and Japan. A Norwegian Air type long-distance carrier would meaningfully increase tourism to Japan
Skymark?
BuildingMyBento is offline  
Old Jul 21, 2016, 8:43 pm
  #10  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,369
1). Make hotel reservations process similar to the rest of the developed world... ie, reservation on hold with credit card and hold group bookings to different level of accountability. Let me expound on this below.
2). Allow gaijins with tattoos to use onsen, as long as they cover it up.
3). Do something about TYO... limited capacity at NRT, two-airport system which is a mismatch. NRT has the potential space (provided they get rid of the last few remaining patches of obstruction around runway 'C') and excellent ground transport network, and methinks a 3rd runway at NRT would really help.

To discuss point #1 further, the current system in place is more like an honor system where you just book a room just with your name, phone# and email address. Hotels have cancellation policies, but how can they enforce it without any payment info? My Japanese sibling routinely holds down numerous different bookings for a one-night trip. Also, I've read Jpnese articles about hotels bemoaning last-minute group booking cancellations and losing tons of revenues without recourse. This was illustrated by my last trip to Sapporo where there were literally no decent rooms available for less than outrageous prices until ~3days before the date when magically all sorts of hotel rooms popped up. Raising the integrity of the Japnese hotel reservation system would surely open up a lot more hotel room occupancies.
evergrn is offline  
Old Jul 21, 2016, 8:52 pm
  #11  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,369
Originally Posted by 5khours
Last night there was an interesting session on Prime News with a politician, foreign consultant and Hoshino-san (Hoshinoya Resorts) talking about whether and how Japan could increase tourism from the current level of 20MM visitors a year to 40MM by 2020.
Obviously Jpn or any other country would want increased revenue from anything. But honestly I think Jpn is a country that, in some sense, wants increased internationalization but, in other sense, either can't or doesn't want to embrace enough changes to make that happen.
evergrn is offline  
Old Jul 21, 2016, 9:06 pm
  #12  
Hilton Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Riding the rails
Programs: Japan Forum, Skyteam Elite Plus, BW Diamond Select, HHonors Gold, NWA, DL, NH
Posts: 1,936
Special Pokmon Go for visitors.
railroadtycoon is offline  
Old Jul 21, 2016, 9:13 pm
  #13  
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Smyrna, GA, USA
Programs: DL FO 1MM
Posts: 1,760
trash cans
angra is offline  
Old Jul 21, 2016, 9:38 pm
  #14  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: HH Diamond, GHA Titanium
Posts: 1,955
Originally Posted by 5khours
  • Make immigration faster.
  • Easier to get a SIM card.
  • Easier to get card subway/train card (or Suica/Pasmo)
  • Improve transport into the city (faster from NRT, more direct from HND)
  • Let travelers know you can easily buy Narita Express and Skyliner tickets from the machines in English
  • Cheaper taxis to/from Narita (allow Tokyo taxis to pick up return fares at NRT)
  • Allow ADD meds for kids traveling with families (this restriction probably keeps 50% of US affluent families out of Japan)
I'm not sure how much effect this will have on tourism. For me, all of these are already more than good enough that they would not influence my decision to plan (or not to plan) any future trip(s) to Japan.
shuigao is offline  
Old Jul 21, 2016, 10:33 pm
  #15  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 1,549
While I had visited once previous, the missus was really hesitant about going to Japan for the first time. I think she was concerned about how expensive it was going to be, how difficult it would be from a culture and language perspective, and it being just a massive urban jungle. But she loved it (as I did my first time) and we've been a back a few times (and hopefully again soon).

IMO, it would help if people understood Japan doesn't have to be expensive and what are ways to visit on a budget and there's quite a bit of English to help get around (and if not, people are really helpful). It also wouldn't hurt promoting some of quainter parts of Japan I suppose.
Jay71 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.