Attracting More Tourists
#76
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Smyrna, GA, USA
Programs: DL FO 1MM
Posts: 1,761
I mean this is a thread specifically on what Japan can do to improve things, so it's of course going to have the negative difficulties highlighted. If there's nothing worse that you experience as a traveler than what's in this thread, life is pretty easy. Note the lack of comments such as "cut down on pickpockets" or "find a way to get rid of the scam taxis" or "provide train access to <foo>".
#77
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boulder
Programs: AA Plat, CX Silver
Posts: 2,361
I mean this is a thread specifically on what Japan can do to improve things, so it's of course going to have the negative difficulties highlighted. If there's nothing worse that you experience as a traveler than what's in this thread, life is pretty easy. Note the lack of comments such as "cut down on pickpockets" or "find a way to get rid of the scam taxis" or "provide train access to <foo>".
#78
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,285
I frankly think it should be more about what the government needs to do for its residents to accept increased tourism....
but we should see how that plays out in 4 years when LOTS of people will arrive for the olympics...unless they can not find any hotels to stay in... ;-) at least tokyo has a decent amount of those.
I think this forum is scaring a lot people away from Japan. This is the reason you should not believe what you read on an Internet!
This is my view, I do not think Japanese government should get involved in tourism industry. I think let free market demand and supply lead the direction of tourism industry in Japan, rather than Japanese government getting involved. It is usually not a good idea for a government to get involved in something which should be left in private industry. See, we let Japanese government decide where Tokyo should have an international airport, and then we got Narita. If you have a choice, would you rather fly in and out of Haneda or Narita?
I do think people who have very strong negative opinions about tourism industry in Japan, then let the wallet do the talk.
This is my view, I do not think Japanese government should get involved in tourism industry. I think let free market demand and supply lead the direction of tourism industry in Japan, rather than Japanese government getting involved. It is usually not a good idea for a government to get involved in something which should be left in private industry. See, we let Japanese government decide where Tokyo should have an international airport, and then we got Narita. If you have a choice, would you rather fly in and out of Haneda or Narita?
I do think people who have very strong negative opinions about tourism industry in Japan, then let the wallet do the talk.
but hey, don't read the internets as you note...read here.
http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/fi...ights16_en.pdf
pretty big numbers eh!
[fixed my typo]
#79
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: AUS
Posts: 248
I understand how foreigners can perceive Japan as a 'difficult' place to travel. But for me, it is one of the easiest, safest, most accommodating places I've ever been. I'm returning next week for the 10th time. It is literally my favorite country to visit.
I'm a native English speaker, who can speak Spanish, and I have found that learning basic spoken Japanese is pretty simple. I can navigate and converse probably at the 3 or 4 year old level
Of course most tourists would not learn any Japanese, so whatever. Again, what type of tourists does Japan want? There are many subgroups of travelers... each with their own issues. North Americans? Western Europeans? Russians? Chinese? Taiwanese? etcetc
I'm a native English speaker, who can speak Spanish, and I have found that learning basic spoken Japanese is pretty simple. I can navigate and converse probably at the 3 or 4 year old level
Of course most tourists would not learn any Japanese, so whatever. Again, what type of tourists does Japan want? There are many subgroups of travelers... each with their own issues. North Americans? Western Europeans? Russians? Chinese? Taiwanese? etcetc
#80
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
I agree, my personal thought is that Japanese government should not use their resources to increase tourists from outside of Japan. I do think Japan is already getting enough visitors from outside of Japan. Japanese government should put their resources in other area, such as a lot of industries in Japan which brought Japan into international level in ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, are now not doing well. I think Japanese government should focus on that area to bring more monetary flow into Japan, not tourism.
It is precisely because those industries are no longer competitive that the Japanese government must now focus on tourism.
#81
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,111
My off-the-cuff suggestions, in things that are easy to do and hard to do for the central government.
Easy:
Make it possible, and encourage, mobile phone shops to sell prepaid data and voice+data SIMs at reasonable prices so that tourists can pick one up at airports or in major cities. Make them show a passport (require a temporary visitor stamp, even) and record the details if the government still wants to track the users. The current way that the only data SIM for visitors is expensive and has to be ordered in advance (B-Mobile) is ridiculous. This is the #1 thing I can think of.
Encourage street-level signage in English and Japanese about restaurants and shops inside buildings. Many restaurants have no street frontage and are instead up a tall building, where gaijin can't find them easily.
Provide online translation service via smartphone/tablet for Japanese service staff to use, and encourage its use. Advertise this to foreigners.
Side-effect of mobile data: Google Translate and other online translation is now useful, point the smartphone camera at a sign and read off English.
Integrate an online bus timetable with translation, like Hyperdia for road transport - requires mobile data! Show names in English and Japanese so people can try to read the signs.
Provide a translation service for service operators to use and encourage English menus in restaurants using this service, even small ones. Japan is half-ready for illiterate people (foreigners can't read Japanese even with effort) with the pictures of services and food, they need to add text description.
More road and direction signs in English in rural tourist areas; some have this already but others do not.
Advertise that Japan is not expensive - particularly that it's cheaper that or comparable with other major 1st world destinations - while the quality is high (which I think it is). Advertise the natural beauty and modern amenties of Japan, rather than the current combination of neon-cyber-future cities and ancient-crafts-and-traditions.
Try to find a way to offer visitors cheaper rail travel that isn't the rail pass - the rail passes give you a lot of travel, but the absolute cost is high. If a visitor wishes to go to 2 cities in Japan, he/she will have to either buy a rail pass (not cheap) or buy the Shinkansen single trip fare (not cheap). Some sort of regional 2- or 4-trip carnet for visitors, perhaps.
Encourage the hotel industry to move to on-line reservation. On Request is a big obstacle anywhere in the world, but when you've got a multi-hour time difference and language problems, it is a complete pain in the neck. Fortunately the major online travel agencies are expanding in Japan, but I still find a lot of rural places are on-request.
Easy:
Make it possible, and encourage, mobile phone shops to sell prepaid data and voice+data SIMs at reasonable prices so that tourists can pick one up at airports or in major cities. Make them show a passport (require a temporary visitor stamp, even) and record the details if the government still wants to track the users. The current way that the only data SIM for visitors is expensive and has to be ordered in advance (B-Mobile) is ridiculous. This is the #1 thing I can think of.
Encourage street-level signage in English and Japanese about restaurants and shops inside buildings. Many restaurants have no street frontage and are instead up a tall building, where gaijin can't find them easily.
Provide online translation service via smartphone/tablet for Japanese service staff to use, and encourage its use. Advertise this to foreigners.
Side-effect of mobile data: Google Translate and other online translation is now useful, point the smartphone camera at a sign and read off English.
Integrate an online bus timetable with translation, like Hyperdia for road transport - requires mobile data! Show names in English and Japanese so people can try to read the signs.
Provide a translation service for service operators to use and encourage English menus in restaurants using this service, even small ones. Japan is half-ready for illiterate people (foreigners can't read Japanese even with effort) with the pictures of services and food, they need to add text description.
More road and direction signs in English in rural tourist areas; some have this already but others do not.
Advertise that Japan is not expensive - particularly that it's cheaper that or comparable with other major 1st world destinations - while the quality is high (which I think it is). Advertise the natural beauty and modern amenties of Japan, rather than the current combination of neon-cyber-future cities and ancient-crafts-and-traditions.
Try to find a way to offer visitors cheaper rail travel that isn't the rail pass - the rail passes give you a lot of travel, but the absolute cost is high. If a visitor wishes to go to 2 cities in Japan, he/she will have to either buy a rail pass (not cheap) or buy the Shinkansen single trip fare (not cheap). Some sort of regional 2- or 4-trip carnet for visitors, perhaps.
Encourage the hotel industry to move to on-line reservation. On Request is a big obstacle anywhere in the world, but when you've got a multi-hour time difference and language problems, it is a complete pain in the neck. Fortunately the major online travel agencies are expanding in Japan, but I still find a lot of rural places are on-request.
#82
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota,USA
Programs: UA, NW
Posts: 3,752
My off-the-cuff suggestions, in things that are easy to do and hard to do for the central government.
Easy:
Make it possible, and encourage, mobile phone shops to sell prepaid data and voice+data SIMs at reasonable prices so that tourists can pick one up at airports or in major cities. Make them show a passport (require a temporary visitor stamp, even) and record the details if the government still wants to track the users. The current way that the only data SIM for visitors is expensive and has to be ordered in advance (B-Mobile) is ridiculous. This is the #1 thing I can think of.
[snip]
Try to find a way to offer visitors cheaper rail travel that isn't the rail pass - the rail passes give you a lot of travel, but the absolute cost is high. If a visitor wishes to go to 2 cities in Japan, he/she will have to either buy a rail pass (not cheap) or buy the Shinkansen single trip fare (not cheap). Some sort of regional 2- or 4-trip carnet for visitors, perhaps.
Easy:
Make it possible, and encourage, mobile phone shops to sell prepaid data and voice+data SIMs at reasonable prices so that tourists can pick one up at airports or in major cities. Make them show a passport (require a temporary visitor stamp, even) and record the details if the government still wants to track the users. The current way that the only data SIM for visitors is expensive and has to be ordered in advance (B-Mobile) is ridiculous. This is the #1 thing I can think of.
[snip]
Try to find a way to offer visitors cheaper rail travel that isn't the rail pass - the rail passes give you a lot of travel, but the absolute cost is high. If a visitor wishes to go to 2 cities in Japan, he/she will have to either buy a rail pass (not cheap) or buy the Shinkansen single trip fare (not cheap). Some sort of regional 2- or 4-trip carnet for visitors, perhaps.
There are cheaper excursion fares, but they are described only in Japanese in the monthly railroad timetable that is available at station newsstands. They give you, say, travel to Kyoto and a x number of days of travel within the Kyoto area. They're called shuuyuu-ken. Good luck finding out about them if you don't read Japanese, though.
However, the JR Pass is still a better deal for extensive travel, and Japanese people are envious when they hear about it. And there are regional passes, too, for people staying in either the Tokyo area or the Kyoto area.
#83
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,111
Roaming data charges are just not useful, and never are. You have to have a local deal to be affordable (outside Europe for Europeans).
The fact that there are cheaper rail excursion fares for less travel than the JR pass is meant for, but are hidden from tourists, is just another way that Japan, Inc is shooting itself in the foot if it wishes more tourism.
The fact that there are cheaper rail excursion fares for less travel than the JR pass is meant for, but are hidden from tourists, is just another way that Japan, Inc is shooting itself in the foot if it wishes more tourism.
#85
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: HHonors Gold, Marriott Lifetime Gold, IHG Gold, OZ*G, AA Gold, AS MVP
Posts: 1,874
Originally Posted by flatlander
Make it possible, and encourage, mobile phone shops to sell prepaid data and voice+data SIMs at reasonable prices so that tourists can pick one up at airports or in major cities.
Thankfully B-Mobile isn't the only product on the market anymore, and there are quite a few options out there that provide more bang for the buck.
#86
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,304
http://www.softbank-rental.jp/campaign/narita/
http://www.softbank-rental.jp/e/selection-acc.php
#88
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,857
Softbank prepaid offer sims with voice+data at Narita, Haneda, Chubu, and Kansai
http://www.softbank-rental.jp/campaign/narita/
http://www.softbank-rental.jp/e/selection-acc.php
http://www.softbank-rental.jp/campaign/narita/
http://www.softbank-rental.jp/e/selection-acc.php
#89
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: HHonors Gold, Marriott Lifetime Gold, IHG Gold, OZ*G, AA Gold, AS MVP
Posts: 1,874
Softbank prepaid offer sims with voice+data at Narita, Haneda, Chubu, and Kansai
http://www.softbank-rental.jp/campaign/narita/
http://www.softbank-rental.jp/e/selection-acc.php
http://www.softbank-rental.jp/campaign/narita/
http://www.softbank-rental.jp/e/selection-acc.php
Yeah, back when they were offering prepaid voice/text only prepaid I first found out what my e-mail was. Then I had to learn how to change it when I made the mistake of adding it to my Rakuten account. Every time I touched down in Japan my phone would sound the "new message" chime non-stop for at least ten minutes. Even when I only left for a month or so.
#90
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,111
Random tourists can't read Kanji and I'm sure you know what I meant. A person who speaks English can at least read the words and recognise how they are pronounced in Italy, Brazil, etc. Japanese (and Chinese) are very much harder and functionally impossible for a visitor with brief or no preparation - a tourist.